Crystal Palace vs Manchester City – Premier League 2025/26 – Matchweek 16 Preview

Match Preview

The 2025/26 Premier League season delivers one of its standout fixtures at Selhurst Park as high-flying Crystal Palace welcome reigning giants Manchester City on Sunday 14 December 2025. What was once seen as a headline clash between a traditional superpower and a stubborn underdog now feels like a genuine meeting of top-four contenders.

Under Oliver Glasner, Palace have enjoyed a remarkable rise. A dramatic 2–1 away win at Fulham, sealed by a late Marc Guéhi header, lifted the Eagles up to 4th place in the table with 26 points from 15 games, boasting a record of 7 wins, 5 draws and just 3 defeats with a goal difference of +8 (20 scored, 12 conceded).

Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, arrive in South London sitting 2nd in the Premier League on 31 points from 15 matches (record: 10 wins, 1 draw, 4 defeats, 35 goals scored and 16 conceded, goal difference +19). Their recent rollercoaster 5–4 away victory at Fulham underlined both their attacking power and occasional defensive vulnerability, but also confirmed that City remain one of the most ruthless sides in Europe when in full flow.

This match carries an extra layer of intrigue after Palace’s famous 1–0 win over City in the 2025 FA Cup final at Wembley, which delivered the club’s first major trophy. This time the stage is Selhurst Park, but the question is similar: can the Eagles clip the champions’ wings again, or will City respond with a statement performance in the title race?

TV Broadcast and Livestreams

The match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City is scheduled for Sunday 14 December 2025 at 14:00 UK time (14:00 GMT) at Selhurst Park. It forms part of the Premier League’s Sunday afternoon TV offering, with tickets already sold out through Palace’s official channels.

International coverage will be provided through regional Premier League rights holders. Supporters should check local listings and official competition or club websites to confirm TV channels and streaming platforms in their country.

Match Information

Premier League Table Snapshot (Before Kick-off)

Heading into Matchweek 16, the top of the Premier League looks like this:

Palace are firmly in the Champions League conversation, while City are in close pursuit of leaders Arsenal. The outcome at Selhurst Park will have a direct impact on both the title race and the top-four battle.

Form Guide

Head-to-Head Record

Crystal Palace and Manchester City have produced some memorable clashes in recent seasons, with City unsurprisingly dominating the overall Premier League head-to-head – but Palace stepping up on big occasions, most notably in cup competitions.

Selected Recent Meetings

Traditionally, City have had the upper hand in league meetings, but Palace’s cup triumph at Wembley and several competitive performances in the Premier League show that this fixture can be more finely balanced than the budgets and squad values suggest.

Tactical Outlook

Crystal Palace: compact structure and transition threat

Glasner’s Palace combine discipline out of possession with sharp, vertical attacks. Key features include:

• Organised mid-block, closing central passing lanes and forcing City into wide areas.
• Quick counters through mobile attackers and creative midfielders once possession is won.
• Danger from set-pieces, with Guéhi and other aerial threats important in both boxes.
• Smart rotations in attack, particularly involving Mateta and the wide players to pull City’s back line out of shape.

Palace will likely accept spells without the ball, focusing on structure and waiting for moments to spring forward when City’s full-backs are advanced.

Manchester City: positional play and relentless pressure

City will try to impose their familiar possession-based style:

• Positional play 4-3-3 / 3-2-5 shapes in possession, with full-backs stepping inside and wingers holding width.
• Central overloads created by technically gifted midfielders to progress through Palace’s compact block.
• High pressing and counter-pressing to suffocate Palace’s build-up and limit counter-attacks.
• Penalty-box focus on Haaland, whose movements between centre-backs remain a constant threat.

City’s biggest challenge will be balancing their aggressive attacking structure with enough protection against Palace’s counters, especially in transition moments after losing the ball.

Key Players to Watch

• Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta: Among the league’s leading scorers this season, Mateta’s penalty-box instincts and physical presence give Palace a focal point whenever they break forward.
• Crystal Palace – Marc Guéhi: The captain is crucial both defensively and offensively at set-pieces, fresh from scoring the late winner at Fulham.
• Manchester City – Erling Haaland: The league’s top scorer with 15 goals, Haaland’s movement, strength and finishing ability make him the primary danger for Palace’s defence.
• Manchester City – Phil Foden: In excellent form with goals and assists, Foden’s ability to drift between the lines and strike from range can unlock even well-organised defences.

Match Outlook and Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Crystal Palace 1–2 Manchester City

This match brings together one of the season’s surprise packages and one of its usual heavyweights. Crystal Palace are transformed under Glasner – organised, confident and capable of taking points off anyone, as their current position in the top four shows. The Selhurst Park atmosphere and Palace’s counter-attacking threat will make this a daunting trip for City.

However, Manchester City arrive with the league’s most fearsome attack, led by Haaland and supported by in-form creators like Foden. Their recent high-scoring wins demonstrate that even when they wobble defensively, they can still outscore opponents.

Palace have every chance of making this another tight, emotional contest, but City’s squad depth and attacking quality may just tilt the balance. A narrow away victory – Crystal Palace 1–2 Manchester City  feels like a realistic outcome, with both sides having spells of pressure and chances.

Important: This scoreline is only a football opinion for discussion and entertainment. It is not advice or encouragement to place bets. Any form of gambling is strictly for adults, must follow all local laws, and should always be approached carefully and responsibly.