Crystal Palace welcome Manchester City to Selhurst Park on Friday evening for an intriguing Premier League encounter between two clubs seeking contrasting responses from the opening weekend.
The Eagles want to recover from defeat, while City will attempt to build momentum after narrowly avoiding an early setback. The match kicks off at 20:00 on 28 August 2026 and will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Check Highbet betting offer for this match! 👇
Crystal Palace Searching for a Reaction
Pierre Sage’s first Premier League match in charge of Palace ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Everton. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring shortly before half-time, with Thierno Barry doubling the hosts’ advantage in the 53rd minute.
Despite enjoying 58% possession and registering 16 attempts, the Eagles failed to convert their promising moments. That lack of efficiency will concern Sage, particularly before facing a City side capable of punishing even the smallest defensive mistake.
Palace nevertheless remain dangerous at Selhurst Park. The intense home atmosphere could help them play with greater aggression, while Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell offer energy from the wing-back positions. Adam Wharton’s ability to receive the ball under pressure will also be important if Palace are to escape City’s press.
Jean-Philippe Mateta provides a physical focal point in attack, but the Eagles will be without Ismaïla Sarr and Chadi Riad. Sarr’s absence removes one of their quickest counterattacking outlets, making the contributions of Eddie Nketiah and Yeremy Pino potentially crucial.
New signing Axel Disasi gives Sage another defensive option, although facing Erling Haaland immediately would represent an extremely demanding debut.
Manchester City Still Adapting Under Maresca
Manchester City began the Enzo Maresca era with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bournemouth. City trailed from the 26th minute until Marc Guéhi equalised late on, before Joško Gvardiol completed the comeback in stoppage time. Substitute Rayan Cherki influenced both goals and made a strong case to start at Selhurst Park.
Although the result was positive, City’s performance exposed some early weaknesses. Their build-up occasionally appeared slow, while Bournemouth found opportunities to attack the space behind the midfield. Palace will hope to create similar situations through quick transitions and direct passes towards Mateta.
Maresca still possesses significantly more attacking quality. Phil Foden, Antoine Semenyo and Cherki can operate around Haaland, while the Norwegian striker will be determined to respond after failing to score against Bournemouth.
Haaland has enjoyed this fixture in the past, netting eight goals against Palace, more than any other City player. His movement between the Eagles’ centre-backs could be the decisive feature of Friday’s contest. Jeremy Doku is expected to remain unavailable because of a calf problem.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Head-to-Head
Manchester City have dominated the overall Premier League rivalry, winning 20 of their 32 meetings with Palace and scoring 70 goals. However, the Eagles have occasionally frustrated the visitors, particularly when defending compactly and breaking at speed.
City won both league meetings last season by a combined score of 6-0. They also recorded a 5-2 victory at the Etihad in April 2025, but Palace famously defeated them 1-0 in the 2025 FA Cup final.
That history should ensure City do not underestimate their opponents, even if the current form and available attacking options favour the visitors.
Betting Tips and Final Verdict
City are the logical favourites, but their difficult opening performance suggests this may not be straightforward. Palace should show greater intensity at home and could make the visitors uncomfortable during the early stages.
A Manchester City victory is the leading selection, while over 2.5 goals also deserves consideration. Haaland is the obvious anytime scorer option given his excellent record against the Eagles. For a higher-priced angle, City to win and both teams to score could appeal, given the defensive uncertainty seen against Bournemouth.
Palace possess enough physicality to compete, but Sarr’s absence may limit their threat on the counterattack. City’s superior depth and ability to change matches from the bench should ultimately separate the teams.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City
