Manchester City travel to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday buoyed by their midweek win over Real Madrid in the Champions League
Manchester City visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend aiming to maintain their winning run. The Blues have cut the gap to Arsenal at the top of the table to just two points ahead of the weekend fixtures.
And Pep Guardiola’s side claimed an impressive away win at Real Madrid in the Champions League meaning they are in a strong position to achieve a top eight spot. That’s now four wins on the bounce for City but they will face a stern test at high-flying Palace.
Guardiola kept the same team in Madrid that won at Sunderland last weekend but you feel he’ll need to make at least one or two changes to ensure his squad stays as fresh as possible heading into a busy period of the season. The midweek Carabao Cup tie with Brentford offers an opportunity for wholesale changes.
Gianluigi Donnarumma will continue in goal and with John Stones sidelined, Matheus Nunes will surely start again at right back. Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias have become the established first choice pairing at the heart of the defence but one change could come at left back. Nico O’Reilly has been outstanding this season but with Rayan Ait-Nouri set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after this game, it makes sense for City to start the Algerian international and protect O’Reilly.
Nico Gonzalez will keep his place in the middle of midfield but there could be changes alongside him. Tijjani Reijnders came off the bench in Madrid and might be afforded a start at Selhurst Park. Phil Foden was taken off in the second half in Spain so will surely start at Palace.
Jeremy Doku is a consistent threat and the way Guardiola has spoken about Savinho suggests a start isn’t too far away for the Brazilian but it would be a brave call to replace the in-form Rayan Cherki. Erling Haaland will lead the line.
City predicted XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Stones, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez, Reijnders, Foden, Doku, Cherki, Haaland.
