Crystal Palace host Manchester City at Selhurst Park on Friday night in a Premier League Matchweek 2 meeting between two clubs beginning new chapters under different managers.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. BST at Selhurst Park. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Palace are looking for their first points of the season after losing 2-0 away to Everton on the opening weekend. Manchester City arrive in better spirits after recovering from a goal down to beat Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
The fixture also carries an important personal storyline. Marc Guéhi returns to Selhurst Park after leaving Crystal Palace for Manchester City during the summer. He scored City's equaliser against Bournemouth last weekend and could feature again in midfield.
Crystal Palace searching for a response
Pierre Sage's first Premier League match as Palace manager ended in defeat at Everton, but the scoreline did not tell the whole story.
Palace created opportunities and hit the woodwork twice before Everton took control. The main problem was their failure to convert chances.
Sage now faces his first competitive home match at Selhurst Park, with Manchester City providing a considerably tougher test.
The Palace manager has already had to deal with injury problems before the fixture.
Palace injury news
Ismaïla Sarr is unavailable after suffering a groin injury.
Chadi Riad is also out with a knee problem.
Those absences reduce Sage's options as Palace prepare to face one of the league's strongest attacking squads. Palace's official website confirmed Sage provided updates on Sarr and Riad ahead of the match.
Axel Disasi is another player attracting attention after joining Palace on loan from Chelsea this week. The defender has already trained with his new teammates, but his involvement against City remains a selection decision for Sage.
Manchester City arrive with momentum
City began the new campaign with a dramatic 2-1 comeback against Bournemouth.
Marcus Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead before Marc Guéhi equalised for City. Joško Gvardiol then scored the winner in the closing stages.
The result gave Enzo Maresca a winning start to his Premier League tenure, although the performance also exposed areas the new manager still needs to improve.
City dominated possession and created opportunities but required late goals to turn the match around. Their trip to Selhurst Park therefore represents an early test of whether the team is settling into Maresca's system.
Reuters reported that City's opening-round performance was unconvincing despite the victory, while the club enters the Palace match with several important squad changes following the summer transfer window.
Manchester City injury update
Jeremy Doku remains unavailable because of a calf injury.
Matheus Nunes is also not fully fit.
There is better news regarding Elliot Anderson. The midfielder was substituted against Bournemouth after experiencing cramp, but Maresca confirmed he is fine and available for the Palace match.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is also available for selection after joining City from Lille.
The 18-year-old midfielder completed his move this week and is fit, but Maresca has urged patience because of his age and the need to adapt to English football.
Bouaddi's potential debut
Bouaddi is one of the most interesting selection questions before kickoff.
City signed the Morocco international from Lille for an initial €100 million, reported as about £85.6 million. He arrives with a major reputation after representing Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.
Maresca confirmed Bouaddi is ready to play but indicated City will manage his introduction carefully.
His arrival adds another option to a midfield undergoing significant changes following several departures.
Guéhi's return adds another storyline
Marc Guéhi will return to the club where he established himself as a key defender.
The England international left Palace for City during the summer and immediately made an impact for his new club, scoring against Bournemouth.
Maresca also used Guéhi in a holding midfield role during the opening match.
The manager has not confirmed whether Guéhi will start in midfield again, but Maresca described him as an additional option in the middle of the pitch.
His ability to operate in different positions gives City another tactical option against Palace.
Expected lineups
Crystal Palace are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Predicted XI:
Henderson
Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu
Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell
McNeil, Nketiah
Mateta
Manchester City are expected to use a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Predicted XI:
Donnarumma
Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol
Kovacic, Guéhi
Foden, O'Reilly, Semenyo
Haaland
These are predicted lineups rather than confirmed starting XIs. The official teams will be released before kickoff.
Head-to-head record favors Manchester City
Recent Premier League history strongly favors City.
Manchester City have gone unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League visits to Selhurst Park, winning eight and drawing three.
Palace's most recent Premier League victory over City came in October 2021, when they won 2-0 at the Etihad.
Palace did defeat City in the 2025 FA Cup final, with Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal at Wembley.
What the match means for bettors
Manchester City enter as the stronger side based on recent head-to-head results, squad depth and their opening-day victory.
But Palace's home advantage creates a different test.
The most important information for anyone assessing the betting markets will arrive shortly before kickoff.
The key factors to monitor are:
• Confirmed starting lineups
• Whether Elliot Anderson starts
• City's midfield selection
• Whether Bouaddi makes his debut
• Palace's attacking setup without Sarr
• Mateta's role against City's defence
• City's defensive structure away from home
• Any late injury or lineup changes
Current analysis from Opta gives Manchester City a 57.5% probability of winning, compared with 20% for Crystal Palace. Those figures represent a statistical model rather than a guarantee of the result.
A major test for both managers
The match represents more than three points.
Sage needs to show how quickly he can establish his ideas at Palace after taking over from Oliver Glasner.
Maresca, meanwhile, needs to show City can perform consistently after the end of the Pep Guardiola era.
City's opening win provided Maresca with momentum, but Palace away represents a tougher environment.
For Palace, a strong performance against City would provide an early indication of how competitive the team can be under Sage.
For City, another victory would strengthen their start to the post-Guardiola era and put early pressure on their Premier League rivals.
The latest confirmed team news and starting lineups will provide the final clues before kickoff at Selhurst Park.
