Crystal Palace vs Man City Betting Tips & Preview

Manchester City to win

Manchester City head to Selhurst Park as the pick here, and it's a call rooted mainly in the gulf in class and recent head-to-head dominance rather than anything eye-catching in the odds. Pep Guardiola's side have won four of the last five meetings with Crystal Palace, including the most recent one back in May, and while both clubs go into this Premier League fixture with mixed recent results, City's overall level still looks a cut above their hosts. Our model puts the win at a 45.8% probability, comfortably the most likely single outcome from the three available, and that's the basis for the tip rather than any perceived gap between that figure and the price on offer.

Recent Form

Crystal Palace's form across their last five completed matches has been patchy at best. They lost to Manchester City back in May, drew away at Brentford, then suffered defeat at home to Arsenal before picking up a win against Rayo Vallecano. Their most recent outing, away at Everton in August, ended in defeat too, meaning Palace go into this one having won just once in their last five and having lost their opening fixture of the new campaign.

Manchester City's recent run reads a little better on paper, even if it isn't spotless. They beat Palace in that same May meeting, followed it up with a win over Chelsea, then drew with Bournemouth before a surprise loss to Aston Villa. City bounced back with a win over Bournemouth in their most recent fixture in August, giving them three wins, one draw and one defeat across that stretch — a firmer platform than the one Palace currently have.

Head-to-Head

The head-to-head picture across the last five meetings between these two sides leans heavily City's way. Manchester City have won four of those encounters, with Crystal Palace managing just a single win and one draw in the mix. That solitary Palace victory came in May 2025, but City have otherwise been the dominant force in this fixture, including the most recent clash between the sides in May 2026, which City won.

Going further back, a December 2024 meeting ended level, but that stands as the exception rather than the pattern. On the balance of recent history, City have found a way to get the better of Palace far more often than not, and that trend forms part of the reasoning behind this selection.

Team News

Crystal Palace will be without Rob Holding, who remains sidelined through suspension, a situation that has been in place since September 2024. No other absences have been listed for the home side.

Manchester City are missing Jérémy Doku, who has been out with a calf injury since mid-August 2026. Beyond that, there are no further unavailable players noted for City heading into this one. Neither absence looks decisive on its own, but Palace will need their available squad to raise their level given the form and head-to-head trends working against them here.