Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Match Preview, Form Guide & Prediction | BigWinPrediction
Premier League, Matchweek 2 — Friday, 28 August 2026, Selhurst Park, 8:00 PM BST
Crystal Palace host Manchester City under the Friday night lights in a fixture that pits two teams with contrasting new manager starts against each other. Team form, head-to-head record and predictions are offered freely on Bigwinprediction.
The Story So Far
Pierre Sage’s Palace endured a rough Matchweek 1, falling 2-0 away to Everton after second-half goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry. It extends a miserable run for the Eagles, who go into this game without a Premier League win in eight games, one of their longest winless streaks since returning to the top flight. Palace are also dealing with an uncertain summer, with reports linking both Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta with exits, and defender Chadi Riad already ruled out through injury.
Manchester City, under new boss Enzo Maresca, opened with a nervy 2-1 comeback win over Bournemouth, snatching victory late on. It was far from vintage City with an overhauled squad following the departures of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Savio, Nico Gonzalez, and Omar Marmoush but three points is three points. New marquee signing Ayyoub Bouaddi could feature at Selhurst Park.
Head-to-Head: City’s Dominance
The numbers heavily favor the visitors. Across their last 69 meetings, Manchester City hold 35 wins to Palace’s 17, with 17 draws. Palace have only beaten City three times in their last 25 meetings, and City ran out 3-0 winners in both fixtures last season. City are also unbeaten in their last 10 trips to Selhurst Park (seven wins, three draws).
Still, Palace do have one recent psychological edge: they were the last side to beat City in a final, lifting the 2025 FA Cup 1-0 at Wembley a result that still stings at the Etihad.
Squad Watch: The Guehi Storyline
One of the most-talked-about angles heading into Friday concerns Marc Guehi. The former Palace captain, who left Selhurst Park for Manchester City in a £20 million deal in January 2026 (with his market value now estimated around €67 million, per Transfermarkt-style valuations), returns to face his old club. Guehi has already opened his account for City from a deeper midfield role and is expected to start alongside Ruben Dias in a reshaped City backline.
Key Stats to Know
- Palace’s open-play xG of 1.96 in Matchweek 1 was the second-highest in the league, but they were the division’s biggest underachievers last season on the open-play goals-vs-xG metric.
- Erling Haaland remains the joint-top scorer in this specific fixture’s history, with eight goals against Palace.
- City have won just four of their last 10 Premier League away matches in 2026, a rare wobble worth watching.
BigWinPrediction’s Verdict
Despite City’s underwhelming pre-season and a squad still bedding in, Palace’s home form and lack of firepower make it hard to back the Eagles here. Expect Manchester City to control possession and eventually break down a well-organized Palace block.
BigWinPrediction score prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City.
Sources referenced: Goal.com, WhoScored, RotoWire, Sportskeeda, SI.com, and squad valuation data in the style of Transfermarkt. Lineups and injury news may change closer to kick-off check back with BigWinPrediction for updates.
