Premier League: City Must Be Wary of the Soaring Eagles

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace

Manchester City are reduced to fighting for a spot in European football next season because they’re unlikely to successfully defend their Premier League crown this year. Pep Guardiola’s men are sixth in the English top-flight standings with 52 points – 21 points adrift from frontrunners Liverpool.

The Sky Blues are unbeaten in their last three games. They are coming off a drab goalless draw against Manchester United in the derby last weekend, and they will host an upwardly mobile Crystal Palace team this Saturday at the Etihad.

Crystal Palace are five notches below Manchester City. Oliver Glasner’s men have 43 points but are one of the most in-form teams in England. The Eagles plan to stretch their undefeated run to eight games to sneak into the Top 10, and they have a game in hand.

​The pregame SBOTOP betting odds expect the hosts to win, but Manchester City know there’s no room for complacency against Crystal Palace.

 

Talking Points

De Bruyne to say goodbye to Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne recently announced he is leaving Manchester City after his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. The Belgian midfielder is one of the Premier League’s greatest players after winning 16 trophies including six Premierships and the Champions League. He has scored 106 goals in 413 appearances in his 10 years with the club thus far.

De Bruyne started against Manchester United last weekend when Pep Guardiola opted for a 4-4-2 formation, but it played into the Red Devils’ hands. Manchester City missed several players like Erling Haaland, Rodri, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Nathan Ake, and they won’t have them back when Crystal Palace visit town. The Sky Blues need De Bruyne’s magic to spark the team anew, and he has two league goals and six assists this term. He’ll likely have Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden in front of him again.

Due to their injuries on the defencive end, Guardiola must make do with his makeshift backline again, with Nico O’Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, and Matheus Nunes covering Ederson. Abdukodir Khusanov is an option after taking the day off against the Red Devils.

 

Crystal Palace are shorthanded

Crystal Palace will also miss several key players ahead of their clash against Manchester City. Chadi Riad (knee), Cheick Doucoure (knee), and Chris Richards (thigh) are in the medical room. Marc Guehi and Eddie Nketiah are suspended after picking up two yellow cards each during their heated 2-1 victory against Brighton.

Ben Chilwell and Romain Esse may see additional minutes because of Guehi and Nketiah’s absences. Chilwell came off the bench last time out, while Esse was given the night off against the Seagulls.

Either way, the Eagles will rely heavily on the dynamic trio of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, and Ismaila Sarr. Mateta leads the team with 13 league goals. Eze is the team’s top playmaker with eight assists, and Sarr has seven league goals.

 

History

Manchester City and Crystal Palace shared the spoils during their reverse fixture at Selhurst Park last December. Daniel Munoz and Erling Haaland exchanged goals in the first half, and Maxence Lacroix and Rico Lewis did the same in the second half. Unfortunately for the Sky Blues, Lewis was thrown out of the match in the 84th minute after two yellow cards.

The Eagles have been (somewhat) a bogey team for the Sky Blues. Since Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of Manchester City, Crystal Palace won twice and drew five times against Manchester City in the Premier League, with the two wins happening at the Etihad. 

​However, Manchester City have lost only one of their last 12 Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, with their last loss being a 2-0 result in October 2021.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2025 odds expect Manchester City to breeze past Crystal Palace this Saturday. The Sky Blues are 1.48 favourites to win, whereas the Eagles are 5.30 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.21 in the 1X2 market. However, we believe this match is up for grabs considering the trend of their recent encounters.

What we’re sure of is football fans can expect new Premier League 2025 highlights from this fixture. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for options like Over 2.75 at 1.70, Over 3.25 at 2.14, and even Total Goals 4-6 at 2.63. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-2 – the result of the reverse fixture – has a mouthwatering offer of 16.00 your bet.

   

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