Gvardiol starts as City make six changes | OneFootball

Josko Gvardiol makes a welcome return to the City starting XI after a five-month absence.

The Croatian last played against Chelsea at the start of January and is one of six changes Pep Guardiola makes this evening.

Also returning are Rayan Ait-Nouri, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush, Savinho and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Making way are Nathan Ake, Erling Haaland, Nico O’Reilly,  Ryan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.

LINE-UPS

CITY: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri, Bernardo (C), Foden, Semenyo, Savinho, Marmoush

Subs: Trafford, Dias, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Haaland, Cherki, Doku

PALACE:  Henderson (C), Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes, Johnson, Pino, Mateta

Subs: Benitez, Sarr, Clyne, Kamada, Wharton, Strand Larsen, Riad, Devenny, Cardines

FORMATION & TACTICS

It’s incredibly hard to predict how the Blues will line-up on the pitch this evening given the personnel changes.

We know Gianluigi Donnarumma will keep goal !), and that Khusanov and Gvardiol are likely to play in central defence - but will Marc Guéhi make up a five man defence?

If so, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Nunes will play as full-backs, with Bernardo and Foden likely to take the central midfield berths and Savinho,, Antoine Semenyo and Marmoush the front three.

If so, that’s 5-2-3 and not a formation we’ve seen that often under Pep!

KEEP GOING BLUES

City have three Premier League games remaining and none of them easy.

Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa are all good sides with their own agendas and aims, but the Blues need to try and get all nine points.

It’s crucial we go into the final day with Arsenal needing  to beat Palace at Selhurst Park - and that is not a given, regardless of their upcoming Conference League final.

Improving our goal difference is key as if we can win our remaining games, we wouldn’t want to go into our last match with Villa needing a four or five goal win.

Of course, let’s just win this game to keep a modicum of pressure on Arsenal.

Pressure and expectation can be a psychological weight and anything can happen.

So, as Pep Guardiola has promised, the Blues will keep going until the end, as we always have.

Stats, facts & milestones

City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against Crystal Palace (W5 D3) since a 2-0 home loss in October 2021.

Crystal Palace have scored exactly twice in each of their last four Premier League away games against Man City, though have only gone on to win one of those (D1 L2). The only visiting team to score 2+ goals in five in a row at the Etihad are Tottenham Hotspur (current run of five).

Since losing 2-0 against Spurs in their opening home league game this season, City are unbeaten in their last 16 at the Etihad (W13 D3). They’ve also opened the scoring in all 16 of these games.

City are unbeaten in their last 23 evening kick-offs (7pm or later) in the Premier League (W17 D6) since a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa in December 2023. However, five of their eight such games in 2026 have been drawn (W3).

Only the current top two sides Arsenal (10) and City (9) have won more Premier League away games this season than Crystal Palace (7), while no side has fewer draws on the road than the Eagles (2).

City have scored the most (38) and conceded the fewest (9) first half goals in the Premier League this season, though each of their last five strikes have come after half-time.

City’s Erling Haaland has scored in all five of his Premier League games against Crystal Palace, netting eight goals in total. The only players to score in their first six games against an opponent in the competition are Raheem Sterling and Mohamed Salah (both vs Bournemouth).

City’s Jérémy Doku has been involved in seven goals in his last six appearances in all competitions (5 goals, 2 assists), as many as he had in his previous 24 (1 goal, 6 assists).

Jean-Philippe Mateta has 49 Premier League goals, and could be just the second Crystal Palace to reach 50 after Wilfried Zaha (68). However, just 35% of his goals in the competition have come away from home (17/49), with just two of his 11 this term coming on the road.

Ismaïla Sarr has scored nine goals in his last 10 starts in all competitions, while his 20 goals in total this season are the most by a Crystal Palace player since Glenn Murray’s 31 in 2012-13.