Manchester City vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Can City Step Up in a Must-Win Clash?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has made three bold changes for Saturday’s crucial Premier League fixture live against Crystal Palace, handing a first top-flight start to James McAtee and bringing in academy stars Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly.

With Phil Foden sidelined and rotation required in the final stretch of the season, Guardiola is trusting youth to help keep City on track for Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Palace arrive unbeaten in 10 straight away games and eager to cause another Etihad upset.

Confirmed Starting Lineups

Manchester City XI: Ederson – Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly – Nico, Kovacic, Gundogan – De Bruyne (C), McAtee, Marmoush

Bench: Ortega, Grealish, Doku, Bernardo, Reis, Savinho, Nunes, Khusanov, Bobb

Key absences: Phil Foden (not fully fit), Bernardo and Nunes (benched)

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson – Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Mitchell – Wharton, Kamada – Sarr, Eze, Mateta

Bench: Matthews, Ward, Franca, Clyne, Hughes, Chilwell, Umeh, Devenny, Kporha

What’s at Stake?

With just seven games left, Guardiola summed it up perfectly: “Every single game is a final.” A win keeps City well within reach of a top-five finish and Champions League football next season, especially now that fifth place also guarantees UCL entry.

Palace, though, are no walkover. Oliver Glasner’s side are in FA Cup semi-finals, on a 10-match unbeaten away run, and boast a red-hot Mateta (9 league goals in 2025). They’ve won or drawn four of their last six visits to the Etihad, stats City can’t ignore.

Watch Along – Manchester City vs Crystal Palace LIVE

Want minute-by-minute updates, goal alerts, and tactical breakdowns? Follow the live blog below for instant coverage, team stats, and expert insights from kickoff to full-time.

Stats Snapshot

• City have lost just 1 of their last 12 league games vs Palace (W7 D4)
• Palace are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League away matches (W6 D4)
• Mateta has 9 goals in 2025, only Salah (10) has more
• De Bruyne has 12 goal involvements in 12 career games vs Palace

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Alex Carter

Sports Correspondent at T.H.E - Music Essentials

Alex Carter is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade of covering international and domestic sports events. From the roar of football stadiums to the high-octane energy of F1 tracks, Alex delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive interviews with sports icons. His passion for sports extends to coaching local youth teams on weekends.

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