Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Prediction, Team News, Odds & Where to Watch

Date & Time: Friday, 28 August 2026 | 19:00 GMT / 20:00 WAT / 21:00 CEST / 21:00 SAST 

Venue: Selhurst Park, London 

Broadcast/Streaming: ⚽ Live on Sky Sports (UK) | NBC/Peacock (US) | Check local listings for SuperSport availability

Crystal Palace return to home soil under the Friday night lights, looking to open their account for the season after a tough 2-0 opening-day defeat away to Everton.

Pierre Sage's side fell behind to first-half goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry and were unable to find a way back despite second-half pressure.

Manchester City, meanwhile, arrive full of momentum after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Bournemouth at the Etihad, sealed by a Josko Gvardiol winner deep into stoppage time. 

There's an added subplot to this one too — Marc Guehi, who scored City's equaliser against Bournemouth, now returns to Selhurst Park for the first time since leaving Palace this summer.

Before placing your bets on this fixture, explore our updated guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria for top-tier odds and welcome bonuses.

City have won each of their last 11 away Premier League meetings with Palace without defeat and thrashed the Eagles 3-0 in their most recent head-to-head back in May.

Palace have managed just eight goals in their last ten matches (0.8 per game) and were shut out 3-0 the last time these sides met — City's defence should have the edge here.

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.

They will also be desperate to arrest a worrying scoring drought — just eight goals in their last ten matches across all competitions, an average of 0.8 per game, with 18 conceded at the other end. 

The Eagles have won only two of their last six home Premier League matches, drawing three and losing one, and will need a big response from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah up front if they're to trouble a City side that hasn't lost away to Palace in eleven attempts. 

Daniel Munoz offers a genuine outlet from full-back and could be key to unlocking space in behind City's backline.

Enzo Maresca's post-Guardiola era continues to take shape, and Friday's trip to South London offers an early chance to build winning consistency on the road. 

City go into the game with no fresh fitness concerns, meaning Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are both expected to lead the line as usual. 

Historically, this fixture has been thoroughly one-sided in City's favour — they beat Palace 3-0 twice across the 2025-26 season — and with the tactical continuity Maresca is building on, that gulf in quality looks set to persist, even with City still finding their feet defensively in the early weeks of the new regime.

If you are looking for alternative platforms offering early payouts or higher market limits, check out our best betting sites with fast payout in Nigeria.

Manchester City have not lost to Crystal Palace away from home in their last eleven Premier League meetings, and have won on both occasions these two sides met last season, both by a 3-0 scoreline. 

Across all competitions, Palace have lost four of their last six head-to-head encounters with City.

Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr out with a groin injury, Chadi Riad out with a knee injury

Manchester City: Jeremy Doku out with calf issue, Elliot Anderson a doubt as he recovers from a thigh problem

Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; McNeil, Nketiah; Mateta

Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Guehi; Foden, O'Reilly, Semenyo; Haaland

Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City

Palace's home crowd and a point to prove after their Everton defeat should make this competitive, but City's dominant recent record in this exact fixture — including back-to-back 3-0 wins last season — and their greater firepower up front should be enough to see Maresca's side through, with an emotional subplot around Marc Guehi's return adding extra needle.

18+ | Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly. Regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or relevant local gaming authorities.