Man City vs Crystal Palace: Preview, predictions and lineups
- Man City host Crystal Palace in opening Premier League game of the weekend
- City lost ground in top-five race last weekend
- Palace haven't been beaten since 15 February
Manchester City are aiming to climb up to fourth in the Premier League table when they face the in-form Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
The weekend's action begins at the Etihad, with Palace aiming to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games. Oliver Glasner's side have won four of their previous five in the league, and haven't tasted defeat since Everton scored a late winner at Selhurst Park on 15 February.
They've had a knack of rumbling title-winning City outfits in previous years, and now Palace are aiming to disrupt a Pep Guardiola-led team merely gunning for a Champions League berth. The top five will progress into Europe's premier club competition, and City lost ground in the race after drawing at Old Trafford last Sunday.
The Cityzens, however, are just a point adrift of Chelsea and Newcastle in fourth and fifth respectively.
Here's 90min's guide to Saturday's lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League.
What time does Man City vs Crystal Palace kick-off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Saturday 12 April
- Kick-off: 12:30 GMT / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Man City vs Crystal Palace head-to-head record (last five games)
- Man City: 3 wins
- Crystal Palace: 0 wins
- Draws: 2
Current form (all competitions)
Man City | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|
Man Utd 0-0 Man City - 06/04/25 | Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton - 05/04/25 |
Man City 2-0 Leicester - 02/04/25 | Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace - 02/04/25 |
Bournemouth 1-2 Man City - 30/03/25 | Fulham 0-3 Crystal Palace - 29/03/25 |
Man City 2-2 Brighton - 15/03/25 | Crystal Palace 1-0 HamKam - 13/03/25 |
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man City - 08/03/25 | Crystal Palace 1-0 Ipswich - 08/03/25 |
How to watch Man City vs Crystal Palace on TV - UK and US
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate |
United States | fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
Canada | fuboTV Canada |
Man City team news
Guardiola changed tack for the derby last Sunday, opting for a midfield diamond, which struggled to provide width. There's no doubt that two of Jeremy Doku, Savinho, and Jack Grealish will be in Saturday's starting lineup.
Nothing has changed on the injury front for the hosts, who are still without Erling Haaland, Rodri, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji. Oscar Bobb, who's missed much of the season due to a broken leg, recently returned to the fold and could earn more minutes at the weekend.
Nico Gonzalez is also poised for a recall, as is young defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
Man City predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace
Man City predicted lineup vs Palace (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Khusanov, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Gundoagna; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Marmoush.
Crystal Palace team news
The Eagles went down to nine men last week against Brighton, with Marc Guehi and Eddie Nketiah both receiving a pair of yellow cards. While the latter was unlikely to start at the Etihad, the absence of captain Guehi is a big blow.
Maxence Lacroix has been superb in Glasner's back three this term, but could miss out on Saturday due to a concussion. The Austrian manager desperately needs Chris Richards to recover in time from a calf strain.
Jefferson Lerma filled in at centre-back last week and will have to again on Saturday, while Joel Ward may also be considered by Glasner if Lacroix isn't available.
Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are long-term absentees.
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs Man City
Palace predicted lineup vs Man City (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Ward, Lerma, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta.
Man City vs Crystal Palace score prediction
Man City have slipped down to sixth but have the chance to put considerable pressure on Chelsea and Newcastle by winning on Saturday lunchtime.
They offered little at Old Trafford last week but should boast more of a threat with the reintroduction of their dynamic wide players this weekend. They'll also be facing up against a depleted Palace defence bereft of athletes. The visitors will sit deep with the personnel they have available, turn to Adam Wharton to bypass sky blue pressure, and break away with their creators, speedsters, and finishers in attack.
Palace will cause City issues in transition, and the hosts may struggle against a deep-lying defence in Haaland's absence. However, Guardiola's team rarely lose on home soil, and perhaps Omar Marmoush will inspire them to an important victory.
Prediction: Man City 2-1 Crystal Palace
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