Manchester City return to the Etihad this weekend needing a response. With only one win from their last three league matches and out of the Champions League spots, Pep Guardiola's side are under pressure to deliver. Their midweek draw with Manchester United was another letdown, and now they face a Crystal Palace team that has been quietly one of the Premier League's most consistent performers in recent weeks. The Citizens have not been at their bloodthirsty best throughout this campaign, especially upfront in the absence of Erling Haaland, and it was demonstrated again at United. The new-look forward three of Marmoush, Foden, and Bernardo Silva was quick-footed in patches but failed to turn efforts into goals. This Saturday's game against Crystal Palace is their 16th home game of the season, and they're 9-3-3 at home, so there's no concern they'll fall short at the Etihad if anything. They're scoring over two goals per match at home but continue to struggle to give that finishing touch on offense if Haaland's not involved. On the other side, Crystal Palace are quietly in their best form of the campaign. They’re unbeaten in ten straight away league matches and have collected six wins in their last seven games across all competitions. Defensively, they've been solid all season, conceding just 12 goals on the road — one of the best away defensive records in the league. However, their backline has been decimated for this clash. With all of Guéhi, Riad, Lacroix, and Richards unavailable, boss Oliver Glasner will be reduced to playing a completely new centre-back combination, which could potentially be City's biggest vulnerability to exploit. Historically, Palace have had some success against City, including a dramatic win at the Etihad in 2018 and a draw earlier this season in a 2-2 thriller. They've won three of the last six meetings and haven't lost to City by more than one goal since 2021. Their counter-attacking threat — led by in-form Eze and Mateta — and their defensive shape mean they're hard to beat, especially for a City side that can look suspect to rapid changes in tempo. Even with Palace's recent momentum, the suspensions and injuries to Palace's major defensive players might be the deciding factor. City are under stress and likely to control possession. If they finish their chances early, they may overwhelm a makeshift Palace defense.

曼城本周末回到阿提哈德需要一个回应。最近三场联赛只赢了一场，而且无缘欧冠，瓜迪奥拉的球队面临着压力。周中与曼联的平局让他们又一次失望，现在他们面对的是水晶宫，这支球队在最近几周一直是英超表现最稳定的球队之一。市民队在整个比赛中都没有发挥出最好的嗜血状态，尤其是在哈兰德缺阵的情况下，这在曼联的比赛中再次得到了证明。新晋前锋马穆什、福登和贝尔纳多-席尔瓦三人的跑动速度很快，但未能将努力转化为进球。本周六对阵水晶宫的比赛是他们本赛季的第16个主场比赛，他们在主场取得了9胜3负的战绩，所以不用担心他们在阿提哈德的比赛中表现不佳。他们在主场的场均进球数超过2球，但是如果哈兰德不在的话，他们在进攻端还会继续挣扎。另一方面，水晶宫正悄悄地处于他们的最佳状态。他们在联赛中连续10场保持不败，并且在最近7场比赛中取得了6场胜利。防守方面，他们整个赛季都很稳定，客场只丢了12个球——这是联盟中最好的客场防守记录之一。然而，他们的后防线在这场冲突中元气大伤。由于古萨希、里亚德、拉克鲁瓦和理查兹都不能上场，主教练奥利弗·格拉斯纳将不得不使用一个全新的中卫组合，这可能是曼城最大的弱点。从历史上看，水晶宫在对阵曼城的比赛中取得了一些成功，包括2018年在阿提哈德的戏剧性胜利，以及本赛季早些时候在2比2的惊险比赛中战平曼城。在过去的六次交锋中，他们赢了三场，自2021年以来，他们输给曼城的比分从未超过一球。他们的反击威胁——由状态良好的埃泽和马塔领衔——以及他们的防守阵型意味着他们很难被击败，尤其是对于一支节奏变化很快的曼城来说。尽管水晶宫最近势头强劲，但主要防守球员的停赛和受伤可能是决定因素。曼城处于压力之下，很可能控制住控球权。如果他们提前抓住机会，他们可能会击溃白金汉宫的临时防御。