Crystal Palace vs Man City: Maresca's First Test at Selhurst Park

Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with three points. That is where the comfort ended.

Enzo Maresca’s first league game in charge turned into a scramble. City trailed Bournemouth from the 26th minute, looked blunt, and needed late drama to escape. Only in the final six minutes did the champions begin to resemble themselves.

Marc Guéhi, of all people, dragged them back into it. The former Crystal Palace defender, reimagined as a holding midfielder, rose to head in an 84th-minute equaliser. Josko Gvardiol then smashed home the winner in stoppage time to complete a 2-1 turnaround that felt more like a rescue than a statement.

The real spark came from the bench. Rayan Cherki entered on 63 minutes and changed the entire tempo. Two assists, both decisive, and a clear reminder that this City side under Maresca might lean heavily on individual inspiration when the structure stalls.

Guéhi’s display will interest Palace fans as much as City’s. Dropped into an unfamiliar role at the base of midfield, he barely put a foot wrong. He completed 56 of his 59 passes, won all three of his tackles and scored the equaliser. It was controlled, aggressive, and intelligent – the kind of performance that hints Maresca may have found an unexpected solution in the centre of the pitch.

But that area could quickly become a headache again.

Elliot Anderson, City’s £116 million summer signing and a key part of Maresca’s rebuild, is listed as unavailable with a knee problem and will miss the trip to Selhurst Park. It forces another rethink in a zone already under the microscope.

Erling Haaland also has questions to answer. His 200th club appearance passed with barely a ripple, as he struggled to impose himself on Bournemouth’s back line. For a striker of his standards, that kind of quiet afternoon rarely goes unpunished in the following game. Palace’s centre-backs can expect a very different version of him in south London.

Palace, though, arrive with their own frustrations.

A 2-0 home defeat to Everton told a messy story. Pierre Sage’s side saw plenty of the ball – 58% possession – and twice struck the woodwork, but defensive lapses undermined them. It was the kind of performance that leaves a manager caught between encouragement and concern.

There were bright spots. Adam Wharton controlled large spells and looked every inch a long-term midfield anchor. Eddie Nketiah was sharp, constantly threatening in behind, and denied only by a superb Jordan Pickford save. Jean-Philippe Mateta hit the post and occupied defenders all afternoon, even as his off-field contract dispute hangs over the club.

The bigger blow came at the back. Chadi Riad was stretchered off with a serious knee injury and is ruled out of the City game. For a side already walking a tightrope defensively, losing a key option against the champions is brutal timing.

Up front, the uncertainty continues. Ismaïla Sarr missed the Everton match while talks with Galatasaray progressed, leaving Sage without one of his main attacking outlets. If that move edges closer before City arrive, Palace’s forward line could look even thinner.

History, as usual, leans towards the visitors. Palace have lost four of their last six meetings with City in all competitions. When these two meet, the champions typically find a way.

Yet this is not the iron-clad City of old. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven consecutive matches and remain vulnerable in transition. Teams that break quickly and commit bodies forward have found space, even if they rarely find the final punch.

Selhurst Park, under the lights and in full voice, has never been a comfortable venue for a side still learning a new manager’s demands. City travel as favourites, but not untouchable ones. Palace know that if they can turn those half-chances and woodwork rattles into goals, this could be the night the champions are forced into a very different kind of response.