Crystal Palace FC's first-ever major European adventure is underway, as we battle to win the UEFA Conference League. Find out how you can join us on our journey.

European Tour

## World Cup winner

> Having made more than 100 appearances for Crystal Palace and now a regular captain of the side, Marc Guéhi has matured well beyond his years since moving to south London.

He joined Palace in summer 2021, signing a five-year contract with the club, and committing his services until summer 2026.

Guéhi was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and moved to England aged one. He spent much of his early years in Lewisham and began his youth career with Bromley-based Cray Wanderers.

It didn’t take long for Guéhi to attract attention and, aged just seven, he was scouted by Chelsea.

Progressing over the following decade with the Blues, Guéhi did enough to stay at the club year on year and reaped the rewards with an immensely successful peer group.

Winning the treble with the Blues’ Under-18s in 2016/17, Guéhi signed his first professional contract in September 2017 and went on to help Chelsea scoop the quadruple – including the FA Youth Cup and league – that same season.

Guéhi’s Academy team helped to reinforce Chelsea’s image as one of the fiercest youth sides in England, as the centre-back played alongside the likes of Reece James, Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

But it wasn’t just at club level where Guéhi enjoyed success with a noteworthy youth team, as the teenager won the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017. Indeed, Guéhi captained the Young Lions to the U17 European Championship final that same year and scored in the World Cup final just months later.

These performances ensured Guéhi was rewarded with a taste of first-team football, and he began to be named in Chelsea squads in spring 2019 – being a senior substitute on four occasions in 18/19.

His breakthrough came in the League Cup against Grimsby Town as the Blues stormed to a 7-1 victory with Guéhi in the backline. He again earned professional minutes for Chelsea in a fourth-round defeat against Manchester United, and secured a loan move to Swansea City shortly after.

Guéhi fought to secure his place over a half-season with the Swans that was disrupted by the league’s suspension in March. Having returned from the pause, Guéhi played in Swansea’s final five matches and helped to clinch a sixth-place finish.

Play-off heartbreak came for the first of two times as Swansea lost on aggregate to Brentford in the semi-finals, but Guéhi went on to enjoy personal progression the following season regardless.

2020/21 was something of a landmark for the defender, who returned to Swansea on loan for a full campaign and played 45 games. He became recognised as one of the league’s brightest talents and helped Swansea climb further up the table with a fourth-place finish.

Swansea and Guéhi continued to go one better than 19/20 by reaching the play-off final, but football showed its unforgiving side once again as Brentford overcame them for a second time. Guéhi played in every minute of the three play-off matches.

Guéhi describes himself as “strong, comfortable on the ball and hopefully growing to be a leader one day.”

These traits are evident in his play, with the 21-year-old having captained England Under-21s and made himself a mainstay for Swansea despite being one of the squad’s youngest players.

His attitude became clear when a post-match interview with him went viral across social media. Having earned a spot at Wembley and consecutive Man of the Match awards from Sky Sports, Guéhi humbly rebuked the accolades by saying: “The first time I was really surprised. Now I think it’s getting a bit ridiculous! Everyone was fantastic today, to a man. I could name everyone. For me to get this again, I don’t know.”

On the pitch, Guéhi is assertive and vocal, often heard organising his teammates with confidence. This confidence is reflected in his willingness to drive out from the back and distribute possession from relatively high up the pitch.

His first season in south London saw him feature in all but two of the games in 2021/22, making 42 appearances in total. His first goal for the club came in a chaotic 3-3 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor. Guéhi captained the side for the first time against Watford in February 2022, becoming the youngest player to captain the side since Nathaniel Clyne in 2012.

A month later, he earned his first ever call-up to the full England squad and made his debut in a 2-1 win against Switzerland.

Guéhi continued to be a rock at the heart of the Palace defence in 2022/23, forming a formidable partnership with Joachim Andersen. He was nearly ever-present in 22/23, playing in 40 out of a possible 41 games.

The 2023/24 campaign saw Guéhi again continue as a stalwart at the back, though in the latter half of the season he did suffer a knee injury which kept him out for two months. He concluded 23/24 with 29 appearances in all competitions.

He was called up to the England men's senior squad ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Championship and earned his 10th cap for the Three Lions with a solid defensive display and clean sheet against Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2024.

Guéhi played a huge role at the heart of the England defence in the 2024 UEFA European Championship, playing every single minute he was eligible for as England finished runners-up in the tournament. He managed to to keep two clean sheets and register an assist for Jude Bellingham's sensational last-minute overhead kick against Slovakia in the round of 16.

In 2024/25, Guéhi continued to be one of the first names on the teamsheet and captained the side on a regular basis. He played in 44 games across all competitions, keeping 14 clean sheets, scoring three times and registering two assists. 

Guéhi also made history alongside Palace legend Joel Ward on the 17th May 2025 - going up the famous Wembley steps to lift the FA Cup, after beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final. 

UEFA European Under-17 Championship, 2017

Team of the Tournament

March 2022, March 2023

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

Crystal Palace, 2021/22

Players' Player of the Season

January 2025

Crystal Palace Goal of the Month

Guéhi

instagram

Twitter

Appearances

Goals

Extended Highlights: Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Guéhi praises team spirit

Guéhi reacts to clean sheet

The Best of Marc Guèhi | Brentford (H)

Pre-match Press Conference | FC Dynamo Kyiv 

Goal AND Player of the month: Marc Guehi

Goal of the month contenders | August 2025

Extended Highlights: Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

The Full 90: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Highlights: Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace

Behind The Scenes | Kit Shoot

Introducing our 25/26 Eagle Gold kit 

Introducing the 25/26 Home Kit

Access All Over | FA Cup Final

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

Chances created

Crosses

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls won

Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

The fixture marks the first competitive meetings between the two teams since Palace’s FA Cup Final triumph back in May, with the Eagles having gone on to play major European football for the first time in our history and – heading into this weekend – sit fourth in the Premier League table.

Indeed, just five points separate fourth-placed Palace and second-placed City at this stage of the season – but, in a remarkably tight Premier League season, there are a further four between the top four places and the bottom half of the table.

Hughes, however, expects facing City to be as big a challenge as ever, saying: “They're always dangerous. They've always, in my opinion, been one of the best teams in not only England, but the world.

“I know they had a bit of a blip last year, but they've got top-quality players, and one of the best managers \[Pep Guardiola\] who’s ever lived, in my opinion.

“We know it's going to be a tough task, but ultimately they're going to come to Selhurst not wanting to play us either. It’s going to be a good game.”

Palace have responded to recent back-to-back defeats with three wins in-a-row on the road – scoring a late winner last time out in the league at Fulham.

“It's a close-knit group,” Hughes stated. “With the games we've had recently…

“We had a minor blip against Strasbourg and \[Manchester\] United, and then winning away at Burnley, which wasn't our greatest performance... to then go and do it again three days later at Fulham – who are a top team, by the way, I don't think they deserve to be where they are in the table \[15th\]…

“But as you all know, the league this season is a bit crazy in terms of the points separating the amount of teams, so we're just looking forward now.”

Hughes was coy, however, when asked where he keeps his FA Cup Winner’s medal, won against City on that unforgettable day at Wembley : “Mine's at home, secure, locked away!

“I think my missus hid it somewhere, so I can't tell you exactly where it is. It's hidden away, nice and safe!”

### Match Details

**Crystal Palace v Manchester City**

- Sunday, 14th December
- 14:00 GMT
- Premier League
- Selhurst Park
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+.](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Not for the first time this season, Selhurst Park will host a battle of two of the Premier League’s top four teams on Sunday (14:00 GMT), as Crystal Palace take on Manchester City in SE25.

Hughes on Man City threat, ‘crazy’ PL table & his FA Cup medal

Crystal Palace v Manchester City (2025-12-14)

Crystal Palace

UEFA Conference League

Shelbourne

Last Match

Manchester City

Premier League

Next Match

Christmas Shopping - Perfect Palace Presents

The Eagles bounced back brilliantly from defeat in Strasbourg last time out, giving our goal difference a decent boost as well. So with just one round of league phase games what are the permutations?

Let’s take a look at the wider league table and what we need to do next week...

### **Where we stand**

After ending matchday four in 18th, the Eagles soared back up the table to climb to ninth in the table, after first-half goals from Christantus Uche, Eddie Nketiah and Yéremy Pino.

Palace sit on nine points, with the likes of AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina, Celje, and AZ Alkmaar all on the same total.

But our goal difference of five is edging us into ninth at as it stands.

Remember that the top eight qualify automatically for the Round of 16, meaning Palace are still in touching distance of the best possible outcome from the league phase.

A ninth placed finish would mean the play-offs would need to be navigated, with those sides finishing ninth-16th seeded against teams finishing 17th to 24th. Clubs who finish 25th or lower are eliminated.

This means that a win in our final league phase fixture against KuPS Kuopio next week would secure a knockout stage stage place without the need for the play-offs. 

Two sides currently above the Eagles in the table, Mainz and Samsumspor face one another on the final matchday, meaning both cannot take maximum points. So three points at Selhurst Park next week will mean a place in the last 16.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How the league phase table looks after matchday 5 🔢<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UECL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UECL</a> <a href="https://t.co/8qAEu5N4SQ">pic.twitter.com/8qAEu5N4SQ</a></p>&mdash; UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) <a href="https://twitter.com/Conf_League/status/1999244994092368346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### **What else happened on Thursday night?**

Shakhtar Donetsk, Raków, AEK Athens, Sparta Praha and Rayo Vallecano all won to extend their Conference League campaigns past the league phase, with German side Mainz 05 also progressing despite being held to a draw with Lech Poznań.

RC Strasbourg moved into top spot in the table, maintaining their own unbeaten run with a narrow 1-0 win over Aberdeen. Martial Godo struck the only goal to break Dons' hearts, with the Scottish side exiting at the league stage.

Fiorentina put their domestic struggles behind them, putting themselves back in the mix for a top-eight finish after substitute Albert Gudmundsson scored a late winner to defeat Dynamo Kyiv.

And Palace's matchday six opponents KuPS ensured they still have a chance to make the play-offs after a 0-0 draw with Lausanne.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matchday 5 ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UECL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UECL</a> <a href="https://t.co/YRX0nUnGvu">pic.twitter.com/YRX0nUnGvu</a></p>&mdash; UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) <a href="https://twitter.com/Conf_League/status/1999239284243534192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### **Who is next up?**

As mentioned, Palace return to Conference League on Matchday Six in our final league phase fixture. That comes next week, when KuPS visit Selhurst Park.

Kick-off is **20:00 GMT on Thursday, 18th December.** Tickets remain on sale, with no Membership required to purchase! [**More information here.**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/tickets/ticket-details-crystal-palace-kups-kuopio-december-2025/)

### **UEFA Conference League results from Matchday Five**

- Fiorentina 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv
- Häcken 1-1 AEK Larnaca
- Breidablik 3-1 Shamrock Rovers
- Drita 0-3 AZ Alkmaar
- Noah 2-1 Legia Warszawa
- Jagiellonia Białystok 1-2 Rayo Vallecano
- Shkëndija 2-0 Slovan Bratislava
- Samsunspor 1-2 AEK Athens
- Universitatea Craiova 1-2 Sparta Praha
- Aberdeen 0-1 Strasbourg
- Hamrun Spartans 0-2 Shakhtar Donetsk
- Rijeka 3-0 Celje
- Lech Poznań 1-1 Mainz
- KuPS Kuopio 0-0 Lausanne-Sport
- Lincoln Red Imps 2-1 Sigma Olomouc
- Raków 1-0 Zrinjski
- **Shelbourne 0-3 Crystal Palace**
- SK Rapid 0-1 Omonoia

### **Matchday Six fixtures**

- Mainz vs Samsunspor
- Sparta Praha vs Aberdeen
- AEK Athens vs Universitatea Craiova
- AEK Larnaca vs Shkëndija
- AZ Alkmaar vs Jagiellonia Białystok
- Crystal Palace vs KuPS Kuopio
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rijeka
- Dynamo Kyiv vs Noah
- Lausanne-Sport vs Fiorentina
- Zrinjski vs SK Rapid
- Legia Warszawa vs Lincoln Red Imps
- Celje vs Shelbourne
- Omonoia vs Raków
- Strasbourg vs Breidablik
- Rayo Vallecano vs Drita
- Shamrock Rovers vs Hamrun Spartans
- Sigma Olomouc vs Lech Poznań
- Slovan Bratislava vs Häcken

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The goalscorers for Crystal Palace ❤️💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UECL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UECL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/CPFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CPFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/6kWMvOCooC">pic.twitter.com/6kWMvOCooC</a></p>&mdash; UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) <a href="https://twitter.com/Conf_League/status/1999465006061224140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Crystal Palace moved into an excellent position in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League after Thursday's 3-0 win over Shelbourne.

Palace in Europe: Where we stand after Matchday Five in the Conference League

Following a delay to Palace's flight home from Dublin, in lieu of his weekly pre-match press conference, the Manager sat down with Palace TV to preview the first meeting between Palace and City since the Eagles' unforgettable FA Cup triumph at Wembley back in May.

The Manager delivered a pre-match team news update; discussed standout performers from Palace's 3-0 win over Shelbourne on Thursday evening; and revealed the key areas he feels will determine the outcome of Sunday afternoon's fixture in SE25.

**Read on below for the key talking points...**

Manchester City Pre-match interview | Oliver Glasner

#### On team news ahead of Manchester City…

All who played should be fine, and then we hope that JP \[Mateta\] and Ismaïla Sarr are available for the game.

Of course, we need to train with them and see if there is any reaction, but it looks good and looks okay right now.

It will give us a few more options and it's important to have these options against City.

#### On changing travel plans…

Yes, we have to deal with the circumstances like this. We couldn't go home after the game – some issues with the plane, but it's better that there are issues when the plane is on the ground than it happens when we are in the air!

Yes, we’ve had to adjust the plan, but again, it's not so difficult. We'll train after arrival with the players who didn't play many minutes yesterday, and of course, we add JP and Isma.

All the others will do their recovery at home. We stayed here in a nice hotel, so there shouldn't be any problem for the City game.

#### On reflections from the win over Shelbourne…

 It was very pleasing. Honestly, I expected this because we know what the players are capable of.

Justin \[Devenny\], I think, played the first time as a right wing-back, inverted, and did well. Also, in the attack, \[Christantus\] Uche started his first game as a striker, and did well, of course, scoring a goal. We could manage all the minutes and, of course, celebrate a big win.

Overall, it was a good journey here to Ireland. We go back with a lot of confidence and with a lot of joy, looking forward to the City game.

#### On Manchester City’s midweek win over Real Madrid…

We watched them when they played at Fulham \[a 5-4 win for City\], because we had the next game against Fulham, and also their Real Madrid game away \[a 2-1 win for City\]. 

They’re very impressive, especially how they attack, how they create their chances, and how they score their goals. They scored two at Madrid, they scored five at Fulham, they scored three at home against Leeds. But on the other side, we could see that they are also giving opportunities to create chances and to score yourself. They conceded four against Fulham and conceded two against Leeds.

The challenge will be to control their attack. It's very, very fluid, especially now with \[Rayan\] Cherki, \[Phil\] Foden, \[Jérémy\] Doku in the dribbling, sometimes on the wing, and many players in the pocket with quick passes. And, of course, there’s always \[Erling\] Haaland being on the jump, making the runs and being in the box! 

It will be a nice challenge for us. As I mentioned before, on the other side, I think we could see that they also will give us space that we can use to create chances on our own.

That's what we want to do. We want to score goals. If we want to win, we need to score, and that's what we will go for.

#### On our first meeting with City since the FA Cup Final in May…

To be honest, there's always great energy in our stadium at Selhurst. Our fans create this great energy.

We had a very long, unbeaten home run until the \[Manchester\] United game and it's now the chance to start the next run again.

Of course, when you play City, we will need a top performance to get the win, but we know we can count on our fans that they will support us and then we will try it, definitely. 

#### On what he wants to see from his side…

We have to control their attacks. It's not so easy. Everybody wants to do it, especially this season. They're doing very well and it's not so easy, because they have many different options.

If you close the middle, they have wingers who are so good in 1v1 dribbling and then they have good numbers in the box, good runs into the box. If you try to control the wide players a little bit more, they find the space in the pockets, as I mentioned, with Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, with Rayan Cherki…

It's a huge challenge, but again, that's what we want. We want to play against the best teams, and now we have the next chance to show that we also progressed and developed and that we are competitive in the next game. 

I think we were competitive in the FA Cup final. We were very efficient, and we had a great goalkeeper and a great spirit to defend our goal and this we will need again – we will need great spirit and a team effort to defend the goal.

We will need a great goalkeeper and we will need to be efficient because I'm pretty sure that we will create three or four chances to score, and of course it would be good to take one of these opportunities.

### Match Details

**Crystal Palace v Manchester City**

- Sunday, 14th December
- 14:00 GMT
- Premier League
- Selhurst Park
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+.](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Oliver Glasner says Crystal Palace will aim to control Manchester City's free-scoring attackers, when the two teams meet at Selhurst Park this Sunday (14th December, 14:00 GMT).

First-team

First-team

Hughes on Man City threat, ‘crazy’ PL table & his FA Cup medal

Palace in Europe: Where we stand after Matchday Five in the Conference League

Glasner on team news & how Palace will look to continue success against City

Christmas Shopping - Perfect Palace Presents

6Marc
Guéhi

First-team

First-team

Hughes on Man City threat, ‘crazy’ PL table & his FA Cup medal

Palace in Europe: Where we stand after Matchday Five in the Conference League

Glasner on team news & how Palace will look to continue success against City

Christmas Shopping - Perfect Palace Presents

6MarcGuéhi

6Marc
Guéhi