<p>With the Premier League title race entering its decisive stage, <strong>Manchester City arrived under enormous pressure ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace</strong>. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/erling-haaland/">Erling Haaland</a> remained one of the biggest talking points before kickoff, while Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku were also heavily discussed after supporters noticed major changes to Pep Guardiola’s lineup.</p>



<p>Crystal Palace travelled to the Etihad with little pressure compared to the home side, but the London club still has plenty to play for late in the campaign. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/manchester-city/">Manchester City</a> knows anything less than victory could hand Arsenal a massive advantage in the race for the title.</p>



<p>The buildup to the match had already been intense following Arsenal’s controversial victory over West Ham United. That result left City needing all three points to reduce the gap at the top of the table and keep the title fight alive heading into the final weeks of the season.</p>



<p>Pep Guardiola also had one eye on the upcoming FA Cup final, with concerns surrounding player fitness and workload beginning to grow. Several important names had recently dealt with knocks, including Rodri and Josko Gvardiol, while others had played heavy minutes during a packed schedule.</p>



<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A midweek PL matchday ✊<br><br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/Revolut?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Revolut</a> <a href="https://t.co/VQj89hnSzn">pic.twitter.com/VQj89hnSzn</a></p>— Manchester City (@ManCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManCity/status/2054467784973729913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote></div> 



<p>Reports before kickoff hinted that Guardiola could rotate his side heavily against Crystal Palace. Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden and Savinho were all pushing for starting roles after impressive recent performances from the bench.</p>



<h2>Why Haaland, Cherki and Doku were not starting</h2>



<p>The mystery surrounding the absence of Haaland, Cherki and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/jeremy-doku/">Doku</a> from the starting lineup was eventually explained shortly before kickoff. <strong>Manchester City decided to rest all three attacking stars ahead of the FA Cup final</strong>, with Guardiola choosing to protect several key players during one of the busiest stretches of the season.</p>



<p>The official lineup confirmed the changes. Haaland, Cherki and Doku all began the game on the bench, while Marmoush, Savinho and Antoine Semenyo were handed opportunities in attack instead.</p>



<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fi" dir="ltr">Lining up for City! 🩵<br><br>XI | Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri, Bernardo (C), Foden, Semenyo, Savinho, Marmoush<br><br>SUBS | Trafford, Dias, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Haaland, Cherki, Doku<br><br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/etihad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@etihad</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZD9bvU3p1H">pic.twitter.com/ZD9bvU3p1H</a></p>— Manchester City (@ManCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManCity/status/2054618928492499446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote></div> 



<p>City also welcomed back Josko Gvardiol after a lengthy absence, with Guardiola making six changes overall to the starting XI. Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Phil Foden also returned to the side for the crucial encounter.</p>



<p>The decision highlighted how carefully Guardiola is managing his squad during the closing weeks of the season. Manchester City still has a realistic chance of winning the Premier League, but the FA Cup final also represents a major opportunity for silverware.</p>


Why aren’t Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku starting for Man City vs Crystal Palace today?

Why aren’t Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku starting for Man City vs Crystal Palace today? - World Soccer Talk

<p>Manchester City has <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/12944715/jeremy-doku-man-city-agree-55-5m-deal-to-sign-belgian-winger-from-french-club-rennes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a> agreed a massive fee with Rennes to sign Jeremy Doku on a permanent transfer. The reigning <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a> winners are expected to pay the French side around $70 million for the star winger. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/west-ham-tv-schedule/">West Ham</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/chelsea-tv-schedule/">Chelsea</a>, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/tottenham-tv-schedule/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> were all previously linked with the Belgium international. However, City has won the race to sign the starlet and Doku will now join up with international teammate Kevin De Bruyne.</p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/the-history-of-manchester-united-vs-manchester-city-gary-james-interview-video-20130406-CMS-52551.html">City</a> was deep in decisions with the <a href="https://www.worldsoccertalk.com/ligue-un-tv-schedule">Ligue 1</a> side for around three weeks. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> club wanted Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise as well. However, the France U21 international rejected moves out of south London and signed a new contract with his current club.</p>



<h5>Premier League champions find Mahrez replacement</h5>



<p>Doku is traveling to Manchester on Tuesday ahead of a proposed medical. The 21-year-old Belgian already has a goal under his belt in the current campaign. Doku scored for Rennes in their opening Ligue 1 match of the season back on Aug. 13. The winger netted six goals and added two assists for the French side during the 2022/23 season. Doku featured mainly as a substitute. He managed just 12 top-flight starts in Ligue 1.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">💎 <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyDoku?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeremyDoku</a> is special <a href="https://t.co/PLjVfd8pfo">pic.twitter.com/PLjVfd8pfo</a></p>— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ligue1_ENG/status/1673353172088389634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>The Belgian is a direct replacement for Riyad Mahrez. The Algeria international previously departed City to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Cole Palmer have played out on the right flank in the early stages of the 2023/24 season. Nevertheless, Doku will now give City another option at the position.</p>



<h2>Doku move could make City sell highly rated Palmer</h2>



<p>The decision to sign Doku may now, however, force Palmer out of the club. Despite Doku’s acclaim, he <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/dortmund-west-ham-chasing-man-city-starlet-palmer-20230819-WST-451066.html">proclaimed</a> that he wants plenty of playing time. Doku’s imminent arrival blocks Palmer from receiving this ample time on the pitch. Also, Guardiola claimed City may sell the youngster at some point this month. </p>



<p>City next face Sheffield United on Sunday, Aug. 27. It is possible that Doku could be ready in time to feature in South Yorkshire; however, he may have to wait until the following match to make his City debut. </p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Crystal Pix</em></p>


Man City set to sign Jeremy Doku in $70 million deal

Manchester City has reportedly agreed a huge fee with French club Rennes to sign Belgian international winger Jeremy Doku.

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Why aren’t Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku starting for Man City vs Crystal Palace today?

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Man City set to sign Jeremy Doku in $70 million deal