Manchester city vs crystal palace preview: key stats and head to head

While mathematically still possible, catching Arsenal at the top now requires a perfect storm: the Gunners must lose their final two fixtures against already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace, while Manchester City must triumph over Bournemouth and Aston Villa in their upcoming clashes.

City remain undefeated at home since last August

Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have dominated Palace in recent Premier League meetings. Since October 2021, they’ve claimed victory five times and settled for draws three times in eight encounters. Though they fell to the Eagles in last season’s FA Cup final, their league dominance over this opponent remains unshaken.

At the Etihad Stadium in 2025/26, City have been unbeaten since their August setback against Tottenham Hotspur (13 wins, 3 draws). Crucially, they’ve opened the scoring in every league game at home since that loss—a trend Palace will need to disrupt from the start.

In the current campaign, City have netted 38 goals before halftime—the highest tally in England’s top flight—while conceding just nine in the opening 45 minutes, the fewest across the league.

Another positive for the hosts: they haven’t lost any of their last 23 evening fixtures. However, they’ve been held to five draws in eight matches played after 7 p.m. this calendar year.

Haaland thrives against Palace, Doku in blistering form

Erling Haaland has scored in each of his five Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace while wearing the City jersey. Only Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling have matched this feat against the same opponent, though both achieved it in their first six matches versus Bournemouth.

Jérémy Doku is another player to watch, as the winger has been in scintillating form. His five goals and two assists in the last six games nearly match his combined contribution from his previous 24 appearances for the Citizens (1 goal, 6 assists).

Palace will rely on their attacking trio to make an impact. Ismaila Sarr has found the net nine times in his last ten starts, and his 20 league goals this season are the most by a single Palace player since Glenn Murray in 2012/13.

Jean-Philippe Mateta could etch his name in club history if he scores against City. A goal would make him only the second Palace player—after Wilfried Zaha—to reach 50 Premier League goals for the club. Notably, 32 of his 49 career league goals came at Selhurst Park, with just two of his 11 strikes this season scored away from South London.

Palace’s away struggles continue at the Etihad

Intriguingly, the visitors have troubled their hosts on the road recently, netting twice in each of their last four trips to the Etihad. Yet, they’ve managed just one win from those four outings (1W, 1D, 2L).

Only City and Arsenal have more away victories this season than Palace, who have avoided draws on just two occasions on their travels.

The Eagles will need to raise their game to stand a chance against a side that leads the league in several key metrics. Manchester City boast the best attack in 2025/26 (72 goals), the highest pass completion rate (89%), and the most total passes (20,582). They’re also second for shots attempted (549), shots on target (193), and conversion rate (18%).

Marc Guehi, the former Palace captain, has made the most passes for City this season with 2,126.

In stark contrast, Palace rank bottom for pass completion (78%) and second-worst for conversion (13%) in the Premier League, suggesting a high-scoring affair may be on the cards—especially in the final 15 minutes before halftime, a period where City have scored 20 times and conceded 17.

City have lost only once after taking the lead this season, emphasizing the importance of early strikes for the visitors if they hope to leave Manchester with at least a point.

Injury updates ahead of the clash

Palace will be without Cheick Doucouré and Eddie Nketiah, while Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa face late fitness tests.

For Manchester City, Rodri and Josko Gvardiol are sidelined, and Abdukodir Khusanov is also awaiting a late assessment.