Manchester City vs Crystal Palace – Match preview and team news

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The Football Faithful

·12 avril 2025

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace – Match preview and team news

Manchester City’s pursuit of Champions League qualification continues this weekend when they host Crystal Palace.

Pep Guardiola and his players have had a week to prepare for this afternoon’s match following their goalless draw with local rivals Manchester United last Sunday.

Vidéos OneFootball

The Spaniard is still without the services of five key individuals. Defensive trio Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones remain out alongside Erling Haaland and Rodri.

However, the City manager is choosing not to dwell on their injury troubles this season as they push for Europe.

Back at home in the @premierleague this weekend 🏡 🤝 #AsahiSuperDry
– mardi 8 avril 2025

Palace are looking to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches by avoiding defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the Eagles will have to cope without club captain Marc Guehi and striker Eddie Nketiah through suspension. The English pair were both sent off in their heated 2-1 victory over rivals Brighton last time out.

However, the blow of Guehi’s absence has been softened by the availability of Chris Richards and Maxence Lacroix. Richards has been missing recently due to a calf issue while Lacroix has followed the required protocols after suffering a concussion last Saturday.

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace – Match preview and team news

Form

Manchester City: LDWWD

As it stands, Manchester City will not qualify for Champions League football next season.

They currently reside in sixth position and are a single point behind both Newcastle United and Chelsea.

City played out a lacklustre draw with Manchester United last weekend, a game that attracted plenty of criticism for its pedestrian pace.

With only seven games to play, Pep Guardiola will be insistent on ensuring the standards return to the level fans have become accustomed to under his regime. A failure to secure Champions League qualification would be considered a huge blow, with the Citizens having competed in the competition for 14 straight seasons.

Crystal Palace: WWWDW

Palace claimed the bragging rights over rivals Brighton last weekend in a chaotic 2-1 win in South London.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his 16th goal of the season before full-back Daniel Munoz grabbed the winner at Selhurst Park.

Unlike the Manchester derby that followed, this heated match was filled with dramatic flashpoints. Palace ended the game with just nine men, while Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke also saw red.

It was the Eagles’ fourth successive home victory and took them within two points of the top half of the Premier League table.

Since the turn of the year, Oliver Glasner’s side have been well-drilled and hard to beat. In fact, they have only been defeated in two of their 15 matches in 2025.

Last Meeting: Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester City, Premier League, 7th December 2024

The spoils were shared in the reverse fixture with both teams scoring two goals apiece.

Oliver Glasner’s side flew out of the traps and breached Stefan Ortega’s net within the first five minutes.

Daniel Munoz was left in acres of space down the right flank and was incisively picked out by Will Hughes. The Colombian full-back composed himself before drilling a powerful effort that proved too strong for the goalkeeper.

City pursued parity and the dynamic duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland almost linked up to great effect. Haaland was played through inside the box but his close-range effort was smothered by Dean Henderson.

Ilkay Gundogan’s volley then clipped the upright and Savinho spurned the rebound by curling a shot just wide.

On the stroke of the half-hour mark, Palace finally succumbed to the mounting pressure as Haaland levelled proceedings at Selhurst Park.

Matheus Nunes whipped a delightful delivery onto the head of the Norwegian who directed the ball into the top corner.

However, after the interval, the hosts reclaimed the lead through a header of their own. From Hughes’ corner, Maxence Lacroix leapt above Kyle Walker to nod in his first goal for the Eagles.

But City weren’t behind for long, as Rico Lewis equalised 12 minutes later. Bernardo Silva cleverly slipped through the academy graduate, who swept an unstoppable finish beyond Henderson.

The 20-year-old went from hero to zero in the closing stages as he was sent off by referee Rob Jones. Lewis received his second booking of the afternoon for a late lunge on Trevoh Chalobah.

Pep Guardiola’s side held on for the remainder of the contest to take a point back home to Manchester.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku.

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Munoz, Lerma, Lacroix, Richards, Mitchell; Wharton, Hughes; Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Who is the referee?

Jarred Gillett will be the match official. Darren Cann and Ian Hussin will assist him while Chris Kavanagh will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Peter Bankes and he will be assisted by Simon Bennett.