While mathematical possibilities remain, closing the gap on the leaders would require an improbable combination of results. Arsenal would need to drop points in both of their final fixtures against already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Manchester City would need to secure victories against Bournemouth and Aston Villa to keep the pressure on.
City’s home dominance continues
Pep Guardiola’s side has maintained an impressive unbeaten run at home, with no losses in their last eight Premier League meetings with Palace—five wins and three draws since October 2021. The only blemish in their 2025/26 home campaign so far came in August against Tottenham, but since then, City have opened the scoring in every subsequent league game at the Etihad Stadium. Palace will need to be at their best from the first whistle to stand a chance.
With 38 goals scored in the first half this season, City boast the best tally in the English top flight, conceding just nine before the interval—the lowest in the league. Their defensive resilience is further highlighted by a 23-match unbeaten streak in evening fixtures, though five of their eight 2025 games after 19:00 have ended in draws.
Haaland thrives against Palace
Erling Haaland has made a habit of finding the net against Palace, scoring in all five of his Premier League appearances for City against them. Only Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling have managed six consecutive goals against a single opponent in Premier League history, both doing so against Bournemouth.
Jérémy Doku is another player to watch, currently enjoying a purple patch. His five goals and two assists in the last six matches match his combined output from his previous 24 appearances for City.
Palace will rely on their attacking firepower, with Ismaila Sarr leading the charge. The Senegalese forward has netted nine times in his last ten starts, and his 20 league goals this season are the highest tally by a Palace player since Glenn Murray in 2012/13.
Jean-Philippe Mateta could make history in this fixture. A goal would see him become only the second Palace player—after Wilfried Zaha—to reach 50 Premier League goals for the club. Notably, 32 of his 49 career goals came at Selhurst Park, and just two of his 11 goals this season were scored away from South London.
Palace’s away struggles
The Eagles have shown resilience in recent trips to the Etihad, scoring twice in each of their last four away games there. However, they’ve only managed one win in those encounters (1W, 1D, 2L). Despite this, they remain one of the few teams to have lost fewer away games than both City and Arsenal this season, with just two draws on the road.
City lead the league in multiple attacking metrics: 72 goals scored, 20,582 total passes, an 89% pass completion rate, 549 shots attempted, 193 shots on target, and an 18% conversion rate. Marc Guehi, the former Palace captain, has made the most passes for City this season with 2,126.
Palace, on the other hand, rank lowest in pass completion (78%) and second-worst in conversion rate (13%). The statistics suggest a high-scoring first half is likely, as City have scored 20 times and Palace conceded 17 in the final 15 minutes before halftime. City have lost just once after taking the lead this season, so Palace must start strongly if they hope to salvage a point.
Injury updates ahead of the clash
Palace will be without Cheick Doucouré and Eddie Nketiah, while Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa face late fitness tests. City will miss Rodri and Josko Gvardiol, with Abdukodir Khusanov also undergoing a last-minute assessment.
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