The Eagles head to Manchester as they play an important part in the Premier League title race having to face both City and Arsenal in the remaining couple of weeks of the season.
Palace secured a place in the Premier League for another season by extinguishing any fears of being involved in the relegation scrap with a hard fought point at home to Everton.
As for the title fight, City swept Brentford aside at the weekend while Arsenal narrowly beat relegation threatened West Ham at the London Stadium.
This fixture represents the game in hand for City but they sit five points behind the North London side hoping to take their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season.
Palace will take on Arsenal in the final game of the season at Selhurst Park in ten days time.
With no team news at the time of writing, it will be interesting to see how Oliver Glasner sets up his side for this midweek game.
The Austrian remains without Cheick Doucoure, and Eddie Nketiah but Evann Guessand is pushing for a return after injury with three Premier League games remaining before the Conference League Final.
It was clear at Selhurst on Sunday when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent on to the pitch from the bench that a point or three was the whole aim, and that was reiterated after no celebration after the equaliser from the Frenchman and instead ran back to the centre circle to place the ball down ready for kick off.
Unfortunately, while there were chances for Palace to win the game, they had to be content with a point which ended up seeing off any relegation fears with three games left to play.
Glasner will be professional as ever and will look to put out a competitive side but there will no doubt be changes as the end of a long season will culminate in the Conference League Final against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.
Starts for the likes of Brennan Johnson, Justin Devenny, Nathaniel Clyne, Chadi Riad, Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, and Walter Benitez are likely.
Match Preview
Premier League | Wednesday 13 May 2026 | Etihad Stadium | 20:00 BST
Manchester City welcome Crystal Palace to the Etihad Stadium in a crucial Premier League clash with major implications at the top of the table as City continue their chase for the title.
League Context
- Manchester City: 2nd, 74 points, chasing title
- Crystal Palace: 15th, 44 points
Palace come into this after becoming mathematically safe for another season in the Premier League, while hosts City continue their chase of Arsenal for the title with games fast running out.
🔵 Manchester City: Title Pressure On
Pep Guardiola’s side come into this game knowing anything less than a win could effectively hand the title to Arsenal. City sit second, five points off the summit, but this fixture represents their game in hand.
City bounced back strongly from a damaging 3–3 draw at Everton by dismantling Brentford 3–0 at home, with Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush all on the scoresheet. At the Etihad, Guardiola’s men have been formidable, scoring freely and losing only once in the league this season at home.
Key talking points for City
- Erling Haaland leads the Golden Boot race with 26 league goals and remains the focal point of City’s attack
- Rodri is a major doubt with a groin issue, while Josko Gvardiol is still being eased back after a long injury layoff
- Possible rotation with the FA Cup final against Chelsea looming at the weekend
🔴🔵 Crystal Palace: Eyes on Europe
Palace arrive in Manchester with little league pressure, currently sitting 15th and mathematically safe from relegation. However, Oliver Glasner’s side are balancing domestic duties with history — having recently booked their place in the UEFA Conference League final.
Palace showed resilience at the weekend, twice coming from behind to draw 2–2 with Everton, though fatigue and rotation may be factors on Wednesday night.
Key talking points for Palace
- Jean‑Philippe Mateta remains the main goal threat, though support options may be limited by injuries
- Eddie Nketiah and Cheick Doucouré are ruled out, while others are doubts as Glasner manages minutes carefully
- Palace have lost just two of their last six matches, suggesting competitive form despite league position
📊 Head-to-Head
Manchester City have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, winning nine of the last 14 Premier League meetings. Palace, however, will draw confidence from their 1–0 FA Cup final win over City at Wembley in 2025—a historic result for the Eagles.
Officials
- Referee: Stuart Attwell
- Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Blake Antrobus
- Fourth official: Paul Tierney
- VAR: John Brooks
- Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan
🔍 Tactical Overview
- City will dominate possession, pressing high and stretching Palace’s back line with Doku and Cherki supporting Haaland.
- Palace are likely to sit deep in a 3‑4‑2‑1 shape, looking to counter through Mateta and Sarr while protecting key players ahead of their European final.
✅ Prediction
Even with potential rotation, Manchester City’s home form and attacking depth should prove decisive. Palace may frustrate early, but sustained pressure is likely to tell.
Prediction: Manchester City 2–1 Crystal Palace
