Crystal Palace vs Man City: Champions Look Vulnerable

Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with three points. That’s the good news. The rest of it will have given Enzo Maresca plenty to think about before a tricky visit to Selhurst Park.

City had to dig themselves out of a hole against Bournemouth, trailing from the 26th minute and looking strangely flat for long spells. Then the game flipped.

Marc Guéhi – back in south London this weekend but now in sky blue – powered in an 84th-minute header to level, before Josko Gvardiol smashed home a stoppage-time winner to complete a 2-1 escape act. The real spark, though, came from the bench. Rayan Cherki walked into the chaos on 63 minutes and promptly took control, setting up both goals and dragging City over the line.

Guéhi’s display was the real talking point. Used in an unorthodox holding midfield role against Bournemouth, the former Palace centre-back looked as if he’d been there for years. He completed 56 of his 59 passes, won all three of his tackles and scored the equaliser. Maresca may have found a short-term solution in the middle of the pitch almost by accident.

He might need it again at Selhurst Park. Elliot Anderson, City’s £116 million summer signing, has been listed as unavailable with a knee problem, leaving a sizeable gap in Maresca’s midfield plans. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, will demand more from himself after a muted 200th club appearance, rarely threatening and often isolated.

Across the halfway line, Crystal Palace arrive nursing their own frustrations.

Pierre Sage’s side lost 2-0 at home to Everton, a scoreline that barely told the story. Palace had 58% of the ball, hit the woodwork twice and carved out enough chances to take something from the game, only to be undone by sloppy defending at key moments.

There were bright spots. Adam Wharton impressed again, calm and incisive in possession. Eddie Nketiah looked sharp, constantly probing and denied only by a superb Jordan Pickford save. Jean-Philippe Mateta also struck the post, but his ongoing contract dispute continues to hang over the club’s attacking plans.

The real blow came at the back. Chadi Riad was stretchered off with a serious knee injury and has been ruled out of the City clash, ripping a hole in Palace’s defensive structure just as they prepare to face one of Europe’s most ruthless attacks. Ismaïla Sarr’s absence against Everton, with talks ongoing with Galatasaray, only adds to the uncertainty in the final third.

History leans heavily City’s way. Palace have lost four of their last six meetings with the champions in all competitions, and the visitors will arrive as clear favourites again.

Yet there is a crack in the armour. City have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven straight matches and still look exposed when teams break quickly against them. Selhurst Park, with its noise, its chaos and its appetite for an upset, is not the ideal place to turn that trend around.

Palace know they’ll have to suffer without the ball. But if they can press into those transitional gaps and drag City into another uncomfortable afternoon, this might be more than just a routine stop on the champions’ title march.