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

Date: December 14, 2025 Venue: Selhurst Park Kickoff Time: 16:00 This Premier League encounter is arguably the most anticipated meeting between the two sides since the 2025 FA Cup final. There is certainly a level of genuine rivalry around this fixture, offering Premier League betting fans the opportunity to win big ahead of kickoff with giving odds. Crystal Palace are labelled as the “giant killers” after they denied Manchester City a domestic treble; that psychological factor will allow them to face this challenge head-on once again. For City, this game is about revenge and redemption. The Citizens will arrive highly motivated to erase the memory of the cup final defeat and apply unrelenting pressure early on, not just for the three vital league points but to show that the final at Wembley Stadium was a fluke.

Marc Strydom
Marc Strydom

Last updated: 2025-12-08

Chad Nagel

7 minutes read

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Daniel Munoz (L) vies with Manchester City's Belgian midfielder #11 Jeremy Doku

Daniel Munoz and Jeremy Doku/Getty Images

The atmosphere and energy at Selhurst Park will be at an all-time high when Crystal Palace face Manchester City on Sunday, 14 December 2025. This fixture sets up a classic “David vs Goliath” scenario, but one where Goliath has a recent history of tripping up. The Eagles will rely on passion and structure, while the Citizens will trust their genius and superior firepower.

Pre-Game Odds & Win Probability

  1. HOME (CRYSTAL PALACE): 59/20 (3.95) – 25.3%

  2. DRAW: 14/5 (3.80) – 26.3% 

  3. AWAY (MANCHESTER CITY): 23/25 (1.92) – 52.1%
    Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change.

Head-To-Head Record

Last five meetings (All Competitions)

  1. 17/05/2025: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

  2. 12/04/2025: Man City 5-2 Crystal Palace 

  3. 07/12/2024: Crystal Palace 2-2 Man City

  4. 06/04/2024: Crystal Palace 2-4 Man City 

  5. 16/12/2023: Man City 2-2 Crystal Palace 

Crystal Palace Current Form – WWLLW

Crystal Palace have moved from mid-table mediocrity to challenging for European places since Oliver Glasner walked through the door. They find themselves high up on the table, and by judging from their performances, they are not going anywhere. Glasner has instilled a clear identity and structure, which has seen them achieve significant success. 

Coming into this highly anticipated fixture, Palace have encountered some tough matchups, which saw them comfortably defeat Wolves away before facing back-to-back defeats to Strasbourg and Man United. However, you can argue that the defeat to the Red Devils could come down to fatigue, having faced Strasbourg away three days earlier in the Europa Conference League. 

Burnley was the next test and passed with flying colours, demonstrating their resilience to pull themselves back from two losses after coming away with maximum points in a hard-fought victory. A victory was needed against Fulham last time out, and captain fantastic Marc Guehi came up with a late goal to steal the victory at Craven Cottage. Palace have good momentum as they focus on City next. 

Key Players To Watch

  • Jean-Philippe Mateta: Mateta, at this point, is the talisman for Palace. He has elevated and refined his game under Glasner, becoming the main source for goals. His intelligent movement, strong direct runs towards goal, and ability to bring teammates into the game make him a constant threat to any defence. Most of his goals have come at Selhurst Park, making him one to keep an eye on in this hot encounter. 
  • Ismaila Sarr: Sarr is not given the credit he deserves, especially for the role he plays for the Eagles. He offers himself as the outlet in quick transitions, has the skill to take on opponents at full speed, and can make decisive passes to put teammates in on goal. While his primary objective is to attack, he also puts in work on the defensive end, proving his value for the Eagles. 
  • Marc Guehi: Guehi is the complete modern-day defender who is among the very best in Europe. He is extremely good with the ball at his feet, has the ability to play out from the back with ease, and can relieve pressure by carrying the ball into midfield while picking out teammates with both long and short passes. He’s also very effective during set-pieces, showing aerial strength and an eye for goal.

Crystal Palace Team News

Cheick Doucoure (knee) suffered a setback in his rehab process and will be sidelined for the next couple of months. Chadi Riad (knee) is close to returning to training, the last major step in his recovery from an ACL injury. 

Manchester City Current Form – WWWLL

Although City may not have looked like their normal dominant and overbearing selves at times this season, they are regaining that wow factor about them. They are beginning to find that telepathic relationship between each other, bringing that fluidity and flair that has seen them achieve major success. 

During the last five matches, City uncharacteristically lost back-to-back matches against Newcastle at St James’ Park and Leverkusen at home in the UEFA Champions League. Having one of the best, if not the best, managers this game has ever seen, a turnaround was imminent, and the next team would have to pay the price. 

Even though Leeds and Fulham put in spirited performances, they were put to the sword, and the Citizens bounced back with two much-needed victories. The focus shifted to Sunderland last time out, and even though they have been defying the odds, the trip to the Etihad was not a test they could overcome. Now firmly in the title chase, a victory here is the only outcome for Guardiola and City. 

Key Players To Watch

  • Erling Haaland: Haaland broke yet another Premier League record, joining the 100 club after reaching 100 goals in an unprecedented time. He is an absolute freak of nature who acts like a shark in bloody water when in on goal. He is leading the race for the Golden Boot by some distance, and with the current form he finds himself in, expect the Norwegian to add to his goal tally.   
  • Phil Foden: Foden is enjoying life again, and it’s showing in his performances. In the last few weeks, he has come up with important goals while providing assists for his teammates, highlighting the current form he is in. He has regained the trust of Guardiola, which has seen him play freely and that creative spark for City, making him one of the key players empowering this rebuild.  
  • Jeremy Doku: Doku is a nightmare to face for any defender, particularly in one-on-one situations. He leads the team in successful dribbles, meaning he has been terrorizing defenders and getting the best of them more often than not. With his pace and skill, he can exploit space by exploding into dangerous areas and provide quality passes, making him the main supplier for goals.  

Manchester City Team News

Rodri (fitness) is working tirelessly to get back on the pitch but continues to face setbacks after recovering from a nasty ACL injury. Mateo Kovacic (ankle) underwent a second surgery on his Achilles, which will see him sidelined until February 2026. 

Predicted Line-Up

  1. Crystal Palace: 3-4-3
    Henderson, Lacroix, Guehi, Richards, Munoz, Mitchell, Wharton, Kamada, Sarr, Pino, Mateta

  2. Man City: 4-3-3
    Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Reijnders, Silva, Foden, Doku, Haaland

Suggested Bets

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  1. Both Teams To Score: Both teams have shown to crack under pressure defensively. 13/20 (1.65) with Betway.

  2. Total Goals (Over 2.5): Expect to see goals with the amount of attacking quality that will be on display. 29/25 (2.16) with William Hill. 

  3. Half Time (Draw): This fixture could be evenly matched through the first 45 minutes. 13/10 (2.3) with Hollywoodbets.

Value Bets

This match provides football bettors a chance to win big with strategic insights to boost their odds of success.

  1. Half Time/Full Time (Draw/Man City): While this will be closely contested, City will want to get their revenge and impose themselves in the second half. 16/5 (4.2) with Unibet.

  2. First Half – First Team To Score (Man City): City will want to start early and take the early advantage, knowing they are playing away. 11/10 (2.1) with Midnite.

  3. Second Half Both Teams To Score (Yes): With the significant value a victory holds and the rivalry coming into this fixture, expect the second half to be open with end-to-end action. 2/1 (3.0) with Betway. 

Prediction: Manchester City To Win

Crystal Palace have been inconsistent to some degree but capable of a big result, especially at Selhurst Park. However, City has more on the line, and for that reason, Guardiola will rely on his world-class quality to get revenge and walk away with a positive result, if not all three points.  

Marc Strydom
Marc StrydomSports Writer

A dedicated sports lover with a wealth of experience in the sports betting world, Marc Strydom has mostly worked as an Editor-in-chief of a sports betting newspaper in South Africa. Marc’s enthusiasm covers many sports, though he is most passionate about football and the NBA. He has covered a wide range of topics on multiple respected platforms.

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