Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Match details
Crystal Palace and Manchester City will kick-off on 28 August 2026 at 19:00 GMT (3:00 PM EST / 20:00 BST / 21:00 SAST).
Getty ImagesLondon lights for Matchweek 2
Crystal Palace return to home soil to face Manchester City under the Friday night lights at Selhurst Park for Matchweek 2. Fresh off contrasting opening-day outcomes, the Eagles aim to leverage their raucous home atmosphere to disrupt City’s flow and claim their first points of the campaign. For the visitors, a Friday trip to South London presents an early opportunity to build winning consistency away from home and solidify their position near the top of the table.
Getty ImagesThe Eagles seeking home bounce after Everton defeat
Pierre Sage’s Palace enter Friday night determined to bounce back after a tough 2-0 loss away to Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Matchweek 1. The Eagles fell behind to first-half goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry and were unable to capitalise on second-half attacking substitutions despite generating pressure. Returning to Selhurst Park, Sage will look to refine the team's defensive shape and rely on Jean-Philippe Mateta, Daichi Kamada, and Adam Wharton to spark quick transitions and catch City's backline off-guard.
Getty ImagesThe Cityzens' late comeback thriller against Bournemouth
Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City stride into London carrying real late-game momentum following a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on August 23. After Marcus Tavernier put the visitors ahead in the first half, City mounted intense pressure in the final quarter-hour. Defender Marc Guéhi levelled the scoring in the 83rd minute against his former club before Joško Gvardiol converted a 90th-minute winner to seal all three points. City will look to carry that relentless spirit to South London as Erling Haaland and Phil Foden spearhead their central attack.
Head-to-Head: City advantage meets Selhurst friction
Historically, Manchester City have enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture, taking a 3-0 victory in their most recent league meeting in May 2026 thanks to goals from Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush, and Savinho. However, encounters at Selhurst Park have often proven physically demanding for City's midfield, with Palace historically finding joy on quick counters. With fine tactical margins separating the two sides, Friday's clash promises to test both managers' rotational strategies and early-season conditioning.
Team news & squads
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Probable lineups
Manager
- P. Sage
Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage has one confirmed absentee, with defender Chadi Riad listed as injured. No suspensions are in place for the home side, and no probable lineup has been confirmed ahead of kick-off. Updates will be added closer to the match.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is dealing with two injury concerns. Jeremy Doku and Elliot Anderson are both listed as unavailable. Anderson's fitness has been the subject of attention after his early withdrawal against Bournemouth, though Maresca has moved to ease concerns over the midfielder's condition following his £116m arrival from Nottingham Forest. No suspensions affect the away squad, and no confirmed projected XI has been released at this stage.
Form
Crystal Palace have recorded one win and two losses from their last five matches across all competitions, with their only competitive result in that run a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Everton on August 22. Palace also lost 3-0 to Freiburg in a pre-season friendly on August 15. Their two victories came in friendlies, a 1-2 win at Fulham on August 7 and a 3-1 defeat of Al-Ula FC on July 31, though they also suffered a 3-0 loss to Lens in late July. Palace scored five goals and conceded eight across those five games.
Manchester City arrive with three wins and two losses from their last five fixtures. Their most recent outing was a 2-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on August 23, secured in dramatic fashion. Prior to that, City lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16. They beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 in a friendly on August 9 and defeated a K-League All Stars side 3-1 on August 5, but drew 1-1 with Inter earlier in pre-season. City scored ten goals and conceded six across the five matches.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these clubs came on May 13, 2026, when Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. Across the last five head-to-head fixtures, City hold a clear advantage with four wins to Palace's one, with no draws recorded in that run. Palace's sole victory came in an FA Cup tie on May 17, 2025, when they beat City 1-0 at Selhurst Park. The other three Premier League meetings in this dataset produced a 0-3 away win for City at Selhurst Park in December 2025, a 5-2 City win at the Etihad in April 2025, and a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park in December 2024.
