Manchester City host Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium today, in a rescheduled Matchday 31 fixture. This match is pivotal for City’s 2025-26 Premier League title aspirations, yet the biggest headline comes from the dugout: Erling Haaland is not in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI.
Guardiola has opted to keep the Norwegian striker on the bench to manage his fitness ahead of the high-stakes FA Cup Final against Chelsea, set to take place this Saturday, May 16, at Wembley Stadium.
It is undoubtedly a bold gamble by Guardiola. With Haaland leading the Premier League scoring charts with 26 goals, his absence leaves a significant void in the attack for a must-win game. The Spanish manager has turned to Egyptian international Omar Marmoush to lead the line as the central attacking reference.
Guardiola makes more changes against Crystal Palace
The decision to rest star players extends beyond just Erling Haaland. Pep Guardiola has also opted to bench Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku, both of whom have been mainstays in Manchester City’s starting XI this season.
Erling Haaland celebrates a goal for Man City vs Brentford. (Getty Images)
Compared to their previous outing—a dominant 3-0 victory over Brentford—Guardiola has made a total of six changes. In addition to the attacking rotations, Nathan Ake, Tijjani Reijnders, and Nico O’Reilly have also been moved to the bench.
To fill the gaps, the Spanish manager has turned to a mix of defensive solidity and creative flair, handing starts to Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Phil Foden and Savinho.
City fighting to stay in the hunt
This matchup is a pivotal moment for Manchester City and the ultimate destination of the Premier League trophy. Eyes in North London will be glued to this game, as today’s result could set the stage for Arsenal to be crowned the new champions.
The math is simple but high-stakes: if Manchester City fail to secure a victory against Crystal Palace, Arsenal could clinch their 14th Premier League title with a win in their next match on Monday, May 18, when they host Burnley at the Emirates Stadium.
