Crystal Palace’s FA Cup victory over Manchester City is still fresh in the memory, and now Selhurst Park is set to host one of Sunday’s standout Premier League fixtures when Oliver Glasner’s up-and-coming side welcomes Pep Guardiola’s City. Palace are in fourth place with 26 points, just four points behind Aston Villa and one ahead of Chelsea, while City are in second place with 31 points, two behind leaders Arsenal. This game looks like a yardstick for Palace’s ambitions and, at the same time, an important milestone in City’s current title race. The teams know each other well from a series of high-scoring encounters, with City dismantling Palace 5-2 in their last league meeting at the Etihad, but the story was reversed in their most recent encounter, with Palace winning the FA Cup final 1-0. Palace have scored in all five of their most recent games against City, so neither the home defense nor City’s defense can expect a quiet afternoon. Current form also adds to the excitement, with Palace exceeding expectations, combining a start in the top four of the league with progress in Europe, coming off wins at Fulham and Shelbourne, and likely to have Mateta and Sarr back, although Munoz’s injury costs them an important playmaker. City arrive with momentum, following a Champions League win at Real Madrid and a league win against Sunderland.
- Venue: Selhurst Park, London
- Date and time: 12/14/2025, 3:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 16)
Palace’s offense under Glasner, carried by Wharton’s passing and Mateta and Sarr, can exploit a City defense that continues to concede goals, so Both Teams to Score: Yes and Over 3.5 Goals each seem generously priced.
Crystal Palace Form & Record Check
Crystal Palace travel to this City game as contenders for the Champions League places, sitting fourth in the Premier League with 26 points and a positive goal difference, which is a remarkable achievement for a club that is new to European competition. Their league form is solid, with just one defeat in their last five games, and the table is tight, with Palace four points behind Aston Villa and one point ahead of Chelsea. Recent results in all competitions show a team that is mostly in control but still has its lapses. In Europe, they dominated Shelbourne with a 3-0 away win, with Uche, Nketiah, and Pino all scoring to bring the team close to the Conference League playoffs. In the league, they fought back to win 1-0 at Burnley and secured a 2-1 win at Fulham thanks to Guehi’s late header. The two defeats, a 2-1 home loss to Manchester United in the league and a 2-1 away defeat at Strasbourg in Europe, made it clear that Palace falters when opponents respond consistently. None of the last five games have ended in a draw and most have produced more than two goals, so the games are open and often lively. Palace usually lead at half-time but fade after the break, and you can see that the busy schedule is gradually taking its toll. Glasner’s approach of quick attacks via Wharton is a key factor in this form, with his passes regularly breaking through lines and keeping Palace higher up the pitch. Injuries to Munoz and Sarr have taken some of the power off the wings, but Clyne has reliably helped out. Mateta continues to get great chances but has scored only one goal in the last four league games, so there is still room for improvement in terms of converting chances.
Palace are likely to stick with a 3-4-2-1 formation in our prediction, with Henderson in goal behind a back three of Richards, Lacroix, and Guehi. Clyne and Mitchell should provide the necessary width, while Wharton and Lerma control the central areas. Kamada and Pino are expected to operate between the lines behind Mateta, a formation that keeps Palace compact without sacrificing the ability to push forward quickly. With Muñoz still out after knee surgery and Riad and Kporha not yet fit, Clyne appears to be the natural choice to start on the right. Sarr and Mateta should be available, so Sarr could challenge Pino or Kamada if Glasner wants more direct speed. Doucouré and Ahamada are still ineligible to play in Europe, which again points to Wharton and Lerma in midfield. This is explicitly only a predicted starting lineup, not a confirmed one.
Man City form & record check
In all competitions, Manchester City look like a team hitting their stride, with four wins from their last five games, including a 2-1 comeback at the Bernabéu against Real Madrid, a result that came immediately after a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. Interestingly, this reaction away from home in Europe perhaps says more about their current mentality than any result at home. In the Premier League, their form is subtly threatening, with City winning three league games in a row, including narrow victories over Leeds (3-2), Fulham (5-4), and Sunderland (3-0). This run has taken them to second place with 31 points, just two behind Arsenal and one ahead of Aston Villa, with a goal difference of 19 and a league-best 35 goals from 15 games. In attack, City are looking more versatile again and no longer rely solely on Haaland, who leads the league with 15 goals, but Foden, Doku, and Cherki have combined for 11 goals in the last three league games, while Cherki already has five assists and one goal from just 399 Premier League minutes. Nico O’Reilly’s breakthrough goal in Madrid underscored the depth of threat now emerging behind the striker. Defensively, the picture is less clear-cut, with City conceding in four of their last five games, and although they tend to start quickly and often lead at halftime, they frequently leave the door open. The 4-5 defeat to Fulham and the 3-2 win over Leeds showed how porous they can become when games get out of hand, and each recent appearance has yielded at least two goals without a draw. Overall, this form comes at a time when Guardiola is managing a team that is not yet fully gelled, with Stones out with a leg problem, Kovacic sidelined with an ankle injury, and Marmoush called up to Egypt’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. That puts even more responsibility on leading players such as Rodri and Bernardo Silva to carry City’s rhythm through a demanding winter schedule.
City are expected to stick with their familiar 4-3-3 formation, so I see Donnarumma in goal, with a back four of Gvardiol, Dias, Ake, and Aït Nouri in front of him. Rodri will take on the role of the lone six, with Bernardo and Reijnders in front of him, while up front, Doku and Foden are likely to flank Haaland to balance the direct wing threat with Foden’s pull into the center. Stones could still be out after his recent leg problem, so Dias and Gvardiol will once again look like the natural center-back pairing, while Ake will provide defensive cover from the full-back position. Kovacic is still out with an ankle injury and Phillips is unavailable for the Champions League, which pushes Reijnders towards a starting role. Cherki could be rewarded, but remains more of a substitute option in this prediction.
Crystal Palace – Man City Head-to-Head & Statistics
In the last five meetings from 2023 to 2025, Manchester City has narrowly come out on top with two wins, Crystal Palace has won one game, and there have been two draws. The most notable result came in May 2025, when Palace won the FA Cup final 1-0, just one month after City had beaten them 5-2 in the league in April 2025. Goals have been a constant feature, with City winning 13-9 overall during this period, and at least four goals scored in four games. Only the final in May 2025 broke this trend with a narrow 1-0 win, while the two draws in 2023 and 2024 ended 2-2 each, once again demonstrating how often both attacking lines break through. Defensively, City conceded goals in all five games, Palace in four, reinforcing the idea of an open contest. The second halves were particularly lively, with at least two goals scored in four of the five encounters and at least three in three of them. Palace found a way to score after the break in three consecutive games, and City did the same in most of their encounters. In the Premier League part of these recent duels, City are unbeaten with two wins and two draws, scoring at least twice in each game. Palace’s big moment was the FA Cup final in May 2025, that 1-0 victory that decided the trophy in one game. Both teams may be drawing on these memories internally, City on their league dominance, Palace on the proof that they can hurt them.
