Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Team News and Lineups

Selhurst Park under the lights, Manchester City in town, and a home crowd that hasn’t seen their side beat the champions-in-waiting here in the league since 2015. The records say one thing; the recent memories say another. Palace did, after all, topple City at Wembley last season to lift the FA Cup, their first major trophy.

Tonight, the story restarts in South London. And both managers arrive with problems to solve and statements to make.

Palace’s Selection Puzzle

Pierre Sage goes into this one without two key options. Ismaila Sarr and Chadi Riad are both ruled out.

Sarr’s absence is particularly significant, given the transfer noise around him. Liverpool have been circling, but Sage made it clear the winger is simply not fit. A groin problem has taken him out of full training. The manager explained that Sarr is working alone and still in pain, which closes the door on any late inclusion.

At the back, Sage turns to a familiar mix of versatility and aggression. The confirmed Crystal Palace XI reads:

Henderson; Khalaili, Richards, Tomiyasu, Canvot, Mitchell; Wharton, Kamada; Nketiah, Pino, Strand Larsen.

It’s a side that can morph quickly. Tomiyasu and Mitchell give Sage the option to tighten up or push on, while Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes wait on the bench if the midfield battle turns.

The substitutes’ bench: Benitez, Mingueza, Munoz, Disasi, Lerma, Hughes, Gozo, Guessand.

The inclusion of Axel Disasi among the substitutes underlines how quickly Sage wants his new defender involved. The Chelsea loanee has barely had time to unpack, but the manager has already talked up his experience and the calm he brings. Disasi trained for the first time with the squad today and has been fast-tracked into the matchday group.

Palace’s home record against City is bleak, but the FA Cup triumph at Wembley still lingers in the air. Sage’s team sheet suggests he believes they can be more than just stubborn. He wants them to carry a threat.

Maresca’s First Big Test

On the opposite bench, Enzo Maresca steps into one of the Premier League’s most awkward away assignments as the new Manchester City manager. His side opened the campaign with late drama against Bournemouth, scoring twice near the end to turn a tight game into three points.

Here, he must do it without Jeremy Doku. The winger is out, and Matheus Nunes is still a doubt, not yet fully fit. Maresca has left the door slightly ajar on Nunes, but not enough to count on him from the start.

The confirmed Manchester City XI at Selhurst Park is:

Donnarumma; Dias, Khushanov, Gvardiol, Guehi; Anderson, O’Reilly, Cherki; Foden, Semenyo, Haaland.

It’s a fascinating setup. A back line built on power and composure, a midfield with craft in O’Reilly and Cherki, and Phil Foden given licence to feed Erling Haaland, with Semenyo adding direct running and work rate.

On the bench, Maresca has options everywhere: Rulli, Lewis, Kovacic, Ait-Nouri, Reis, Echeverri, Bouaddi, Mcaidoo, Braithwaite.

All eyes, though, drift towards one name. Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The £86m signing from Lille is in line to make his City debut. Maresca has already spoken about the teenager’s maturity, stressing that he doesn’t look or play like an 18-year-old. The manager has also been clear that City will handle him carefully: new league, new country, new expectations. But nights like this are exactly where City’s future stars usually get their first taste.

History, Noise and a New Chapter

Palace’s league record at home to City over the last decade is brutal reading, but this fixture always carries an edge. Selhurst Park compresses the pitch, the noise swirls, and City have known uncomfortable evenings here before.

Sage leans on energy and flexibility, hoping Nketiah, Pino and Strand Larsen can stretch a City defence that rarely gets bullied but occasionally gets dragged into chaos. Maresca, in contrast, sends out a side built to control, to suffocate, to let Haaland finish the arguments.

City are chasing the title back. Palace are chasing respect and momentum. One club defends a reputation; the other defends its home.

By the final whistle, we’ll know whether Selhurst Park has remained a happy hunting ground for the visitors—or whether that FA Cup shock at Wembley was not a one-off, but the start of a very different story between these two.