Cherki starts with new boy Bouaddi on the bench

Match Preview

City take on the Eagles at Selhurst Park with a 20:00 (UK) kick off in front of Sky Sports cameras for Friday Night Football.

Cherki - who provided assists for both our goals in the opening day 2-1 triumph over Bournemouth - comes into the team in place of Rico Lewis.

New signing Ayyoub Bouaddi, who joined the Blues from Lille on Wednesday, is straight into the squad and has a spot on the bench against new manager Pierre Sage’s side.

Rúben Dias captains the team.

City are looking to follow up Sunday’s win over the Cherries with another three points from our first assignment on the road this season while Palace will be looking to bounce back after an opening day 2-0 loss at Everton.

CITY XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias (C), Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Anderson, Guéhi, Foden, Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland

Subs: Rulli, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Reis, Echeverri, Bouaddi, McAidoo, Braithwaite, Lewis

Gianluigi Donnarumma is between the sticks for City and protected by a back four of Abdukodir Khusanov, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly.

Enzo Maresca surprised many when he selected centre-back Marc Guéhi in the middle of the park for the Bournemouth opening day clash at the Etihad - and the line-up this evening suggests he could be playing there again alongside Elliot Anderson.

Higher up the pitch, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Phil Foden will provide support for talismanic striker Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland will be looking to hit Crystal Palace for six this evening.

Haaland has scored in all five of his Premier League games against Palace.

In our Treble season, he bagged his first City hat-trick against the Eagles in a 4-2 success at the Etihad in August 2022 and then scored the winner in a 1-0 triumph in London in March 2023.

Haaland then netted one in a 4-2 away success in our Four-in-a-Row season in April 2024.

In 2024/25, he scored again in a 2-2 draw at Palace in December 2024 while in 2025/26 he hit a brace in December 2025’s 3-0 win.

That’s eight goals in total across those five games – and that’s the best 100% scoring record a player has against an opponent in the competition.

The only players to net in each of their first six against a side are Raheem Sterling and Mohamed Salah - both of those against Bournemouth.

Here’s to more success for Erling tonight!

Enzo Maresca was as good as his word when he announced in his pre-match press conference that Ayyoub Bouaddi was ‘ready to go’ following his move from Lille to City on Wednesday.

Just 48 hours after the transfer of the 18-year-old, Maresca has put Bouaddi straight into the squad for tonight’s fixture.

He takes his place on the bench at Selhurst Park as the Blues look to follow up our win over Bournemouth on the opening day with another three points tonight.

There’ll be a lot of eyes on Bouaddi for sure but Maresca stressed in his media briefing that there will need to be patience with the Moroccan midfielder because of his age as well as the fact he’s new to the Premier League.

“We need to go slowly because he is young, came from a different country...no rush for him.

“For sure he will help us now and in the future. But he is just 18.

“It is my job and it’s the club’s job to manage him in the best way, don’t put pressure on him, he is young and he needs time.”

We’re sure he’ll get the time he needs to acclimatise and there’s no question being involved with the squad will help the starlet signing settle into the top-flight surroundings that little bit quicker.

-Crystal Palace have won just two of their last 22 Premier League games against City (D5 L15), and are winless in nine against us since a 2-0 away win in October 2021.

-City are unbeaten in our last 11 Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W8 D3) since a 2-1 loss in April 2015 under Manuel Pellegrini.

-Crystal Palace are without a win in their last eight Premier League games (D3 L5); since returning to the top-flight in 2013/14, only in February last season (9), March 2023 (12), and April 2016 (14) have the Eagles endured longer winless runs in the competition.

-City have only won four of our 10 Premier League away matches in 2026 (D5 L1), while Enzo Maresca failed to win any of his final three away league games with Chelsea (D2 L1).

-Only Brighton and Hove Albion (3.54) recorded a higher open play xG on MD1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season than Crystal Palace (1.96), with the Eagles the biggest underachievers last season (-12.9) between goals from open play (22 – ex. own goals) and open play xG (34.9).

-After winning seven of his first 12 Premier League games against sides starting with a back three/five (D2 L3), Enzo Maresca has since won just four of his last 10 (D2 L4), suffering defeats in three of his previous five such games.

-On MD1 of this season’s Premier League, only Brighton and Hove Albion recorded more high turnovers (19) and had a lower PPDA (4.9) than Crystal Palace managed against Everton (15 high turnovers, 6.9 PPDA).

-Only two players recorded more line-breaking passes in the final third on MD1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season than Adam Wharton (13), as well as winning possession eight times, the joint-third most of any player.

-12 of Rayan Cherki’s Premier League assists have come from open play, including for Josko Gvardiol’s winner on MD1against Bournemouth – since the start of last season the Frenchman leads the league for open play assists, while he’s second for open play expected assists (8.2) and through balls (30).