How Manchester City could line up in Premier League clash vs Crystal Palace (4-1-4-1) | OneFootball

Manchester City travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in what promises to be an entertaining Premier League affair later this afternoon.

Man City will be out for vengeance after falling to the Eagles in the 2024/25 FA Cup final, but the Eagles have proven they’re no pushovers this season.

Nevertheless, Man City head into the game in remarkable form, having won four consecutive games in all competitions, most recently claiming a 2-1 Champions League win against familiar foes Real Madrid.

Los Blancos got off to a fine start when Rodrygo broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark, but goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Braut Haaland helped Man City turn the game on its head.

Before that fixture, Man City had seen off Leeds United, Fulham, and Sunderland to keep pace with Arsenal at the Premier League summit.

The Gunners extended their lead with a 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, so it’s up to Man City to respond, but it may not be straightforward.

Man City have a dominant record against Palace. They’ve won four of their last seven league meetings with the Eagles (D3), but the FA Cup final is proof that Palace have what it takes to halt their momentum.

How Man City could line up

The last time Pep Guardiola made sweeping changes to his starting line-up, Man City paid the price with a 2-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen.

Since then, the Spaniard has made it a habit of keeping the core of the squad intact, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he makes just one change to his starting XI against Palace.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is guaranteed to retain his place in goal ahead of out-of-favour James Trafford, while a back four of O’Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, and Mathues Nunes should also remain intact.

The minor tweak expected should come in midfield, although Nico Gonzalez is expected to keep his place while Rodri continues his recovery.

Tijjani Reijnders should come in for Bernardo Silva, who wasn’t at his best against Madrid.

The 31-year-old’s 6/10 performance might be a sign of fatigue, so Reijnders, who has notched seven goal contributions (two goals and five assists), could get a chance.

The Dutchman will likely be joined by Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Phil Foden, while Haaland leads the line.