Crystal Palace Host Title-Chasing Man City | OneFootball

After closing the gap to Arsenal at the top of the table to just two points last weekend, from seven little more than a week prior, City may well smell blood. However, picking up three points this weekend will be no formality for Pep Guardiola’s men up against Crystal Palace in south London.

It is a fixture that will have taken on a new meaning amongst the Selhurst Park faithful, since the momentous last meeting between the two teams. The last time the two clubs faced off was in the 2025 FA Cup final. Oliver Glasner’s side triumphed, claiming the first piece of major silverware in Palace’s 120-year history. It was a day that will live forever, immortalised in the memory of the Eagles’ fans.

For City, it marked the culmination of their worst campaign in the past decade. Things could have played out differently – perhaps if Dean Henderson saw red or if Erling Haaland took their penalty rather than Omar Marmoush. However, the Blues ultimately left empty-handed, and Guardiola was forced to accept just the second trophy-less season of his career.

This Friday, the Catalan was a no-show at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Cup Final rematch. City’s boss dropped out due to personal reasons, with assistant Kolo Toure filling in to preview the fixture. The former central defender assured the media that Guardiola will ‘absolutely’ be in position to fulfil his duties on Sunday. He went on to declare his superior ‘the best manager in the world’ and insisted he is ‘a dream’ to work with.

Hosts Flying High

On the match at hand, the Ivorian insisted that Palace are a ‘top team’ pointing to the league table as clear evidence of this fact. Indeed, it is true that the Eagles are flying high once again, sitting fourth in the table. Their haul of 26 points from 15 games represents their best ever start to a campaign. At this same point last season they had just half that total.

The hosts will be unable to call on the match-winner from the Cup Final as Eberechi Eze has since departed for City’s title rivals Arsenal. This exit, coupled with that of Michael Olise a year prior, should have left Glasner’s team short of attacking inspiration. Despite this, others have willingly stepped up to fill the void left behind by the two fully fledged stars.

A New Generation of Attackers

Jean-Philippe Mateta has certainly been the focal point of Palace’s attack. The Frenchman has continued his fine form after scoring 30 goals across the last two Premier League seasons. He has already netted seven this term. However, the striker is a doubt for the match, after missing out on the Eagles’ midweek UEFA Conference League victory over Shelbourne.

Ismaïla Sarr is another important attacker for Palace, whose availability is unclear. “We hope JP and Ismaila Sarr are available for the game,” said Glasner. The Senegalese forward is set to represent his nation at AFCON in the coming weeks, but has been absent for the last three matches. Electric fullback Daniel Muñoz has been definitively ruled out for Sunday as he recovers from knee surgery.

Meanwhile, Englishmen Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton have continued to impress, as they hope to book their place on the flight to the USA for next summer’s World Cup. Both were named in Thomas Tuchel’s last squad and are key figures in the spine of Glazer’s team.

A Case of #1 Attack vs. #2 Defense

City have an England star of their own, who has started to recapture his best form. Phil Foden has scored five in his last three league outings, playing a key role in the Blues attack. Fellow attackers Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki have also both shone, with Guardiola’s side scoring 11 goals across their last three league fixtures.

Erling Haaland too has, of course, sustained his goalscoring form. The Norwegian extended his tally for club and country this season to a staggering 34 goals, with his decisive penalty at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. His goal saw City prevail at the home of Real Madrid in the Champions League for just the second time in history. A statement victory for Guardiola’s new-look outfit.

Palace boast the second best defence in the league but they are sure to be tested by the division’s most lethal attack. It is an enticing prospect and promises to deliver great action as two of the Premier League’s most in-form teams go head to head.