Crystal Palace Set to Battle Man City: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Crystal Palace and Manchester City meet for the first time since last season's FA Cup final when they clash at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles claimed their maiden major silverware when they defeated the Citizens at Wembley in May, with Eberechi Eze's goal downing the seven-time champions. Pep Guardiola's squad will be eager to get their revenge against Palace this weekend.
City have shown marked progress since their FA Cup disappointment and have reestablished themselves as a dominant force following their summer rebuild. They sit close behind league leaders Arsenal in the Premier League and occupy fourth place in the Champions League league phase standings with two matches remaining.
They approach Sunday's encounter in excellent form after four consecutive wins, including a notable victory over Real Madrid in midweek. Phil Foden and Erling Haaland are propelling City to success, though questions persist about their defensive stability.
Palace will present a stern test this weekend and trail their opponents by just five points. Three straight victories have restored belief after consecutive losses to Strasbourg and Manchester United, with only Arsenal suffering fewer defeats than the Eagles in the Premier League this season.
Oliver Glasner's side are difficult to overcome but have been surprisingly disappointing at home. Selhurst Park's status as a stronghold has been damaged after managing only two wins from seven Premier League matches, with Palace earning five more points away than at home.
Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the London showdown.
What Time Does Crystal Palace vs. Man City Kick Off?
Crystal Palace vs. Man City Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Crystal Palace | Man City |
|---|---|
Shelbourne 0–3 Crystal Palace - 11/12/25 | Real Madrid 1–2 Man City - 10/12/25 |
Fulham 1–2 Crystal Palace - 07/12/25 | Man City 3–0 Sunderland - 6/12/25 |
Burnley 0–1 Crystal Palace - 03/12/25 | Fulham 4–5 Man City - 2/12/25 |
Crystal Palace 1–2 Man Utd - 30/11/25 | Man City 3–2 Leeds - 29/11/25 |
Strasbourg 2–1 Crystal Palace - 27/11/25 | Man City 0–2 Bayer Leverkusen - 25/11/25 |
How to Watch Crystal Palace vs. Man City on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Premier League, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV |
United States | Peacock, NBCSN |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Mexico | Not televised |
Crystal Palace Team News
Palace were missing key wing-back Daniel Muñoz for last weekend's victory over Fulham and the Colombian has since had knee surgery. He's targeting a mid-January comeback and joins Cheick Doucouré, Caleb Kporha and Chadi Riad in the medical bay.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr are both fitness concerns for the encounter with City, but Glasner was optimistic about their chances of featuring. Palace require their two primary attacking weapons available to trouble Guardiola's team.
Nathaniel Clyne appears most likely to deputize for Muñoz, which could create problems against Jérémy Doku, while Yéremy Pino and Eddie Nketiah will compete for an attacking role alongside Sarr should the Senegal winger, who will soon leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, be declared fit.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Man City (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Clyne, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta.
Man City Team News
City will remain without Rodri in midfield, the Ballon d'Or recipient having featured in just eight matches across all competitions this season due to injury problems. The Spaniard is accompanied by Mateo Kovačić on the injury list.
John Stones is another casualty due to a muscle problem and has been absent for the last two fixtures. Nevertheless, he is anticipated to return soon.
Guardiola himself was absent from Friday's pre-match media briefing due to personal reasons, but is expected to be present on the sideline in London. He's unlikely to make significant changes—if any—from the Madrid triumph.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace
Man City predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; González; Silva, Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
Crystal Palace vs. Man City Score Prediction
Palace are never easy opponents, but their home form is worrying. They have found wins difficult to come by on their own ground and will struggle to contain City's potent attacking unit.
Muñoz's unavailability is significant, while the possibility of playing without Mateta and/or Sarr will concern Glasner.
City are in excellent shape and have benefited from an additional day's rest following midweek European commitments. Despite Guardiola's tendency to rotate, stability in the starting eleven has been vital to their recent success and they should field a recognizable team at Selhurst Park.
With Haaland, Foden, Doku and Cherki all performing exceptionally, Palace will be bracing for defeat.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0–2 Man City