Maresca's City makeover faces its first Selhurst Park test — with Guéhi in midfield and Grealish on the way out
Enzo Maresca sent his Manchester City side out at Selhurst Park on Friday night with Marc Guéhi stationed in defensive midfield — a tactical twist born from a problem that surfaced weeks earlier.
After the Community Shield game against Arsenal, Maresca said his team had struggled in midfield and that Guéhi, normally a centre-back, could do the midfield job and give the side balance. Against Crystal Palace, he put that theory to the test. City lined up 4-2-3-1: Donnarumma in goal; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol and O'Reilly across the back; Anderson alongside Guéhi in the double pivot (the two midfielders who sit deepest and screen the defence); Foden, Cherki and Semenyo behind Haaland (The Guardian).
Maresca took over from Pep Guardiola ahead of the 2026/27 season and, at his pre-match press conference on 27 August, said his squad were still working hard to learn exactly how he wants them to play. He insisted his relationship with the players had not changed. But the lineup told its own story of transition. Jack Grealish was not in the squad — which the Guardian said surely meant he was leaving, with Everton and Sunderland reported as potential destinations. On the bench sat 18-year-old French midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, about whom Maresca said simply: he needs time.
Crystal Palace had their own upheavals. This was their first home league game of the season, and they relaunched the matchday programme for the occasion (cpfc.co.uk). The Holmesdale Fanatics, the club's most prominent ultras group, announced they were stopping all organised activity at Selhurst Park. Ismaïla Sarr was absent from the squad and linked with Liverpool. Jean-Philippe Mateta was missing too, apparently injured and reportedly pushing for a move away. Daniel Muñoz, on the bench, was said to be the subject of a £22m bid from Nottingham Forest that week.
There were fresh faces as well. Anan Khalaili, a £21m signing from Union Saint-Gilloise, started at right-wing back. Palace lined up 3-4-2-1: Henderson behind Tomiyasu, Richards and Canvot; Khalaili and Mitchell as the wide wing-backs; Kamada and Wharton in the middle; Nketiah and Pino behind lone striker Larsen. Andrew Madley of West Yorkshire took the whistle.
The fixture carried the weight of recent history. Palace won the 2025 FA Cup final 1-0 over City at Wembley, with Joel Ward lifting the trophy. That result still hangs over this rivalry whenever the two meet. City's overall record is strong — 20 wins from 32 all-time meetings, a 62.5% win rate — but at Selhurst Park it narrows: 19 wins from 38 (Yahoo Sports).
For supporters of a certain generation, Friday night also stirred a quieter memory. Maxi Jazz, the Faithless frontman who lived in West Norwood and became a Palace associate director in 2012, died in December 2022. Selhurst Park has never quite felt the same without him.
What makes this match stand out is how much change is packed into 90 minutes. A new City manager still teaching his system. A Palace side shedding players, gaining others, and watching its most vocal fan group go silent. The Premier League season was barely a week old — kick-off was Matchweek 2, the campaign having begun on 21 August (Premier League). Both clubs, in very different ways, are still becoming whatever they are going to be.
