Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Premier League Preview, Team News, and Lineups

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca took over from Pep Guardiola in the summer as the club prepares to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in London, United Kingdom. The Premier League encounter is scheduled for Friday August 28, at 8pm local time (19:00 GMT), with Al Jazeera Sport providing live text commentary starting from build-up at 16:00 GMT.

Manchester City continues life after Pep Guardiola following a mixed start under Enzo Maresca, which included a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield and a comeback win against Bournemouth. This match also serves as a rerun of the 2025 FA Cup final where Crystal Palace claimed a famous victory.

Maresca Calls for Reinforcements for Man City

City manager Maresca wants the club to secure "one or two more captains" before the end of the summer transfer window. Following a summer clearout involving experienced departures like John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, and Nathan Ake, City brought in young midfielders Ayyoub Bouaddi and Elliot Anderson. Maresca hopes new arrivals can join Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland in the leadership group.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur signed Omar Marmoush on a season-long loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent.

Bouaddi Needs Time at Man City Despite Big Fee

Eighteen-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi joined City from Lille for an initial 100 million euros (£85.6 million, $117m). While Maresca confirmed the Morocco World Cup star is "ready to go" for his debut, he emphasized the need for patience given the player's age and transition to a new country.

Match Background and History

Crystal Palace enters this fixture following a 2-0 opening loss to Everton, where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scored. In previous encounters, Manchester City secured 3-0 victories against Palace both at Etihad Stadium in May and at Selhurst Park last season, featuring goals from Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush, Savio, Erling Haaland, and Phil Foden. Palace's last win against City came in the May 2025 FA Cup final via Eberechi Eze, while their last league win against them dates back to October 2021.

The Opta supercomputer gives City a 57.5 percent chance of victory compared to 20 percent for Crystal Palace in their 76th all-time meeting.

Team News and Predicted Lineups

Crystal Palace Team News: Ismaila Sarr and Chadi Riad miss out due to groin and knee injuries respectively.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup: Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; McNeil, Nketiah; Mateta

Manchester City Team News: Elliot Anderson recovered from cramp, Matheus Nunes is not 100 percent, and Jeremy Doku remains sidelined.
Manchester City Predicted Lineup: Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Guehi; Foden, O’Reilly, Semenyo; Haaland