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Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

How long can we sympathize with Manchester City? Or show patience for their performances? SportsBoom unpacks everything you need to know ahead of the clash on the 7th of December, including our Crystal Palace vs Manchester City prediction and betting preview. Plus, you can boost your betting potential with the top bonus offers from our recommended football bonus codes site!

Ryan Liberty
Ryan Liberty

Last Updated: 2024-12-03

Chad Nagel

5 minutes read

Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola//Getty Images

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability – City Heavy Favourites Early on

  1. Home: 45/10 (5.5) – 16%

  2. Draw: 33/10 (4.3) – 22%

  3. Away: 11/20 (1.55) – 62%

Head-To-Head Record

Last five meetings (Premier League)

  1. 06/04/2024: Crystal Palace 2–4 Manchester City

  2. 16/12/2023: Manchester City 2–2 Crystal Palace

  3. 11/03/2023: Crystal Palace 0–1 Manchester City

  4. 27/08/2022: Manchester City 4–2 Crystal Palace

  5. 14/03/2022: Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester City

Crystal Palace Current Form – DDLDW

Crystal Palace have struggled to win football games this season, and outside of that victory over Tottenham, they have flattered to deceive. Oliver Glasner has to see his side move away from earning a few ‘good points against tough opposition’ and coming away from fixtures with convincing performances. 

Yes, Manchester City are on a horrible trajectory at the moment. However, there is not too much about Palace’s performances which allows you to get too excited about their chances. They have just been too inconsistent. 

Key Players to Watch

  • Dean Henderson: Sold to Palace for just 20 million quid by United, Henderson has often come up with massive saves for his Palace side. His footwork and athleticism combine to produce a keeper worthy of the very highest praise in the league, and at Palace, he has been no different.
  • Jean-Philippe Mateta: The French striker has seemingly enjoyed life under manager Oliver Glasner. Previously struggling to find regular game time, Mateta has essentially doubled his attacking output data since the arrival of Glasner. He is a big powerful forward who can put a delicate Manchester City defence under pressure.
  • Marc Guehi: Guehi has struggled recently and even conceded own goals as further dents to his confidence. Nevertheless, he has the ability to see his side progress up the field – especially on the counter – and given the approach Manchester City are likely to take, he will be a key player here.

Crystal Palace Team News

Palace have a host of injuries, including Rob Holding and Adam Wharton. 

Manchester City Form – LDLLL

Manchester City have been a bit all over the place recently. Outside of their midweek encounter, they hadn’t managed a win in their previous seven fixtures. It is a first for Pep Guardiola in his managerial career! 

Erling Haaland hasn’t had his shooting boots on recently, and interestingly it has adversely affected the entire Manchester City side. A lot of pundits have suggested that City set up for Haaland to score…but what about when he doesn’t? players like Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden haven’t had much to offer in that department and as a result, the side falls flat.

Key Players to Watch

  • Erling Haaland: Yes, there has been a lot of critical points made regarding Haaland. Yes, he hasn’t managed to find the back of the net as frequently as he may have wanted. No, he doesn’t look to be as comfortable leading the charge as Pep Guardiola – but he is still the most prolific striker in the league and once you forget that you might have to be made to pay the price.
  • Phil Foden: Pep Guardiola has alluded to the fact that his players may lack the confidence necessary to remain competitive in the league at the moment. Again, we all know just how good Foden can be, and you just cannot rule him out. He will be wanting to make the most of this Palace defensive line.
  • Ruben Dias: Whether he has to now play a slightly different, or more advanced, role given the absence of Rodri is irrelevant. This is a defender who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and happy to drive his team forward. 
    Yes, Rodri would drift into midfield with ease and that might not be the role Dias is used to playing – but with space and time, he is a player who can release those in front of him.

Manchester City Team News

Manchester City are without Oscar Bob and Rodri for this match. 

Predicted Line-Up

  1. Crystal Palace: 3-4-2-1: Henderson, Guehi, Lacroix, Chalobah, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes, Munoz, Sarr, Eze, Mateta

  2. Manchester City: 4-2-3-1: Ortega, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Lewis, Gundogan, Silva, Foden, Nunes, Haaland.

Suggested Bets

Crystal Palace and Manchester City are on a collision course come the weekend; these are our betting predictions ahead of the clash.

  1. Manchester City to Win: Manchester City have struggled, there is no doubt about it. However, Palace have also struggled at times this season to ensure they have converted moments into points. Back the visitors at 11/20 (1.55) with Betway and Bet365

  2. Both Teams to Score: Manchester City have ranked as one of the worst teams in the league for conceding big chances to their opponents. They have shown a unique vulnerability to the counter, especially where they lose the ball and have to defend a transition at pace. Back both teams to score at 19/25 (1.76) with Betway and Bet365)

  3. Draw/Manchester City + BTTS: You could also consider taking advantage of both of the above options and adding the extra layer of safety with a draw – the price available is still good enough to justify inclusion in your weekend multiples. 10/10 (2.0) with Betway and Bet365.

Value Bets

  1. Erling Haaland (Anytime Goal Scorer): It is crazy to think that Haaland to score at any time during the game is a value bet for this fixture, even crazier that the price available is 5/6 (1.83) with Bet365. Get on!

  2. Correct Score (1-3): Selhurst Park has been good to Manchester City and for some or other reason, they have managed to win by two clear goals 93% of the time they make the trip to London. This is more of a romanticized bet to be fair, but a 3-1 correct scoreline for City is 12/1 (13.00) with Bet365 and 888Sport. 

Prediction: Manchester City Win

We think this is another win for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, we don’t want to see the Spanish coach scratching his head or holding up six fingers for fans – we want real Christmas cheer to be evident at City. 

Back the defending champions to earn some much-needed Premier League points here. 

Ryan Liberty
Ryan LibertySports Writer

Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.