Crystal Palace can move to within two points of Manchester City when the sides meet this weekend. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match. Palace have never beaten Pep Guardiola's City at Selhurst Park but they did come out on top in last season's FA Cup final, claiming their first major trophy courtesy of a 1-0 win.
Crystal Palace can move to within two points of Manchester City when the sides meet this weekend. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match.
Palace have never beaten Pep Guardiola's City at Selhurst Park but they did come out on top in last season's FA Cup final, claiming their first major trophy courtesy of a 1-0 win.
The Eagles only had 22% possession in the final but were able to stifle City's attack while remaining a threat on the counter. That's been a strategy regularly employed by boss Oliver Glasner – 17 of Palace's last 20 league wins have come in matches where they have had under 50% possession.
The Londoners, who claimed a comfortable Conference League win at Shelbourne on Thursday, have started the season impressively. They already have 26 points, which is twice as many as at this stage last year and their highest figure after 15 Premier League games.
However, the festive period could prove a testing one for Palace's relatively shallow squad. Ismaila Sarr, their second highest scorer this term, is expected to report for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal next week, providing he overcomes a recent injury.
To make matters worse, wing-back Daniel Munoz, who was outstanding against City at Wembley, will be out for at least four weeks following knee surgery.
City win again but Guardiola demands more
Manchester City made it four wins in a row – and eight victories from their past 10 games – by beating Real Madrid on Wednesday, but Guardiola was quick to bring his side back down to earth.
He insisted City have produced better performances at the Bernabeu without winning, adding "that level is not quite enough" for success in the latter stages of the Champions League.
The Spaniard was also the party pooper after last weekend's 3-0 victory over Sunderland. Summer signing Rayan Cherki starred in that game, assisting two goals, but Guardiola appeared unimpressed by the Frenchman's rabona cross for City's third.
"I want players to do the simple things well," the manager said afterwards, pointedly noting he has never seen Lionel Messi attempt a rabona.
Guardiola is hardly known for simplicity in team selection, with his penchant for rotation – and so-called 'Pep Roulette' – a familiar frustration for fantasy football managers.
Yet this season, the 54-year-old has relied on continuity more than in the past. Wednesday's win in Madrid was the fifth time he has named an unchanged starting line-up in the current campaign. Before 2025-26, he had never done so more than twice in a season with City.
Category: General Sports
