Manchester City Hope for Fewer Problems in Trip to Crystal Palace

The second round of the English Premier League kicks off with an intriguing clash at Selhurst Park, as Crystal Palace host Manchester City. Andy Madley will officiate the match. The home side, under new manager Pierre Sage, will be looking to bounce back in front of their fans, while Enzo Maresca seeks a second consecutive victory at the helm of the Citizens.

Pierre Sage's official debut as manager of the Eagles didn't go as planned. In the opening round of the new season, Crystal Palace fell 2-0 away to Everton, with goals from Kiernann Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry. Despite the loss, the Londoners created numerous chances, hitting the woodwork twice in the first half. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eduard Nketiah had good opportunities in front of the opponent's goal, but a lack of clinical finishing proved decisive.

Manchester City began their campaign with a dramatic 2-1 home victory against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium. In his Premier League debut as manager, Enzo Maresca saw his team fall behind but managed to orchestrate a complete turnaround. Substitute Rayan Cherki emerged as the hero for Manchester, coming off the bench to assist both goals, including Marc Guehi's equalizer and Josko Gvardiol's winning strike in stoppage time.

In the last six direct encounters between the two teams, Manchester City have recorded four wins, while Crystal Palace have one victory, and one match ended in a draw. A total of 25 goals have been scored by both teams in these fixtures, with the most recent match in May 2026 seeing the Citizens secure a convincing 3-0 win at the Etihad.

Palace's most significant recent triumph was in the FA Cup final in May 2025, where they prevailed 1-0. In the league, however, City have held a significant advantage in recent matches, winning their last two league encounters with a comfortable 3-0 scoreline.

In the Crystal Palace camp, defender Shadi Riad is sidelined due to injury, having been forced off in the second half against Everton. Attacking midfielder Ismaïla Sarr missed the first match with a groin problem and remains a doubt for Friday's fixture.

For Manchester City, winger Jérémy Doku is out for 2-3 weeks with a calf injury sustained in the Community Shield match against Arsenal. The good news for Enzo Maresca concerns Elliot Anderson, who left the field early against Bournemouth but was found to have only suffered cramp and is fully fit to play. Neither team has any suspended players for the match.