Crystal Palace welcome Manchester City to Selhurst Park this weekend with the league table adding real bite to the occasion. Palace start the round fourth, while City are second, two points behind leaders Arsenal after 15 games — and Palace only five points back from City in the early title picture.
City’s last match in any competition brought a significant boost: they won 2–1 away at Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night. In the league, their most recent outing (prior to this weekend) was a 3–0 home win over Sunderland, which kept them right on Arsenal’s heels.
The main fitness update is in midfield: Rodri will miss the Palace game as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury, while John Stones is being assessed after a thigh issue.
Palace’s last match in any competition was a convincing 3–0 UEFA Conference League win away at Shelbourne on Thursday, with goals from Christantus Uche, Eddie Nketiah and Yéremy Pino. Oliver Glasner indicated afterwards that some players who did not travel — including Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr — would be involved in the next training session, highlighting the balancing act between Europe and the league.
From a tactical perspective, City will expect to control the ball and territory, particularly with their usual aggressive positioning and wave-after-wave pressure. Without Rodri, the emphasis on game management and defensive coverage in transition becomes even more important — especially against a Palace side that have shown they can punish space quickly when opponents over-commit.
Palace’s league position speaks for itself, and Glasner’s team will treat this as an opportunity rather than a burden. They have the pace and direct running to make life awkward for City if they can stay compact, win second balls and break cleanly into the channels. Set plays could also loom large at Selhurst Park, where momentum swings quickly and small moments can feel magnified.
The stakes are clear at both ends.
City are chasing Arsenal in the title race and cannot afford many slips. Palace, sitting fourth, have a chance to reinforce their top-four credentials and close the gap to the teams above them.
With City arriving after a demanding European trip and Palace returning from their own continental commitments, this one has the feel of a high-level, high-intensity contest shaped by energy, structure and fine margins.
