Manchester City arrive at their midweek home fixture with Crystal Palace in a simple but brutal position: they must win their remaining three games and hope Arsenal drop points in either of their last two fixtures if City are to clinch the title. With that pressure, it was notable when Erling Haaland did not start against Palace.

The omission is not injury related. It appears to be a precautionary move by Pep Guardiola to conserve his leading striker ahead of the 2025–26 FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday at Wembley. Haaland came into the Palace game having contributed a goal and an assist in City’s 3–0 win over Brentford at the weekend, and Guardiola is likely to call on him from the bench if the need arises.

Guardiola made other unexpected selection choices. Rayan Cherki and Jérémy Doku, both regular attacking options, were also on the bench. More strikingly, Rodri and Nico O’Reilly were not included in the squad selected for Oliver Glasner’s side.

The consequences are clear. Anything but a win on Wednesday would hand Arsenal the chance to become Premier League champions should they beat Burnley next Monday. Guardiola’s rotation is therefore a calculated gamble.

Omar Marmoush, who scored his first goal for City since early March at the weekend, replaces Haaland in the starting XI. Phil Foden and Savinho are given starting places, with Antoine Semenyo completing the attack. For the first time since Jan. 4, Croatia international Joško Gvardiol is back and will start at left back. Summer signing Rayan Aït-Nouri will fill in for O’Reilly and push up higher on the field at left winger.

Guardiola’s decisions risk undermining City’s immediate objective, but the manager is relying on squad depth as he balances Premier League imperatives against the FA Cup final. The selection is a clear signal of priorities and of the fine margins at play as the season reaches its climax.

With four gameweeks left, Gameweek 35 demands careful moves. Managers still chasing mini-league gains should prioritise reliable returns and inexpensive enablers that free funds for captains in the final stretch.

Goalkeepers: David Raya (£6.0m) remains the standout option among keepers after a 10-point haul last weekend and offers value alongside Arsenal’s defence. Fulham have blanked in four of their last six league games, making a home clean sheet plausible. At the other end of the budget spectrum, Karl Darlow (£3.9m) has accrued 24 points across his last five games and faces relegated Burnley at home, serving as a low-cost enabler. For managers planning ahead to double Gameweek 36, Dean Henderson (£5.1m) is an alternative given Crystal Palace’s two fixtures next round, despite a tricky away match with Bournemouth this Sunday.

Defenders: Gabriel (£7.2m) is a must, while Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m) has become increasingly attractive for managers preparing for City’s double in the next round; he has returned 27 points from his past three fixtures and faces low-scoring Everton away on Monday. Crystal Palace options include Jaydee Canvot (£4.5m) and Chris Richards (£4.4m) as budget routes into their backline, and Daniel Muñoz (£5.8m) offers more attacking upside after scoring in the defeat at Liverpool. Leeds defensive targets such as James Justin (£3.9m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Pascal Struijk (£4.3m) are also useful given a favourable fixture.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) stands alone as the essential midfield pick; he is chasing the Premier League assist record for a single season and has delivered returns in each of his past seven matches, even ahead of Manchester United’s home game with Liverpool. Other options highlighted are Eberechi Eze (£7.2m), who made an impact after being brought off the bench in Europe, Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) with 23 points across his last three matches, Ismaïla Sarr (£6.3m) ahead of a double, Noah Okafor (£5.6m) despite a slight injury concern, and Enzo Fernández (£6.5m) under Calum McFarlane.

Forwards: Erling Haaland (£14.5m) is essential following recent goalscoring exploits. Support options include Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.7m), who could benefit from Burnley’s struggles after Scott Parker’s dismissal, and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m), who has produced 24 points across his past two home games for West Ham ahead of a trip to Brentford.

Mohamed Salah left Anfield applauding all four sides after appearing to pick up a hamstring problem during Liverpool’s meeting with Crystal Palace. He pulled up shortly before the hour mark and was forced off, trudging from the pitch to a chorus of concern from the crowd.

Immediate fears surrounded the severity of the issue and whether the injury could end Salah’s season, and even his Liverpool career. With roughly one month remaining of the campaign, the forward faces a clear race against time if he is to appear again in a Liverpool shirt.

Liverpool have just four fixtures remaining this season. A trip to Manchester United next Sunday already feels too soon for Salah if he has injured his hamstring, while the extent of the blow will determine whether a return is possible before the end of the campaign.

Chelsea travel to Anfield on May 9 in a tense fixture in the race for Europe, and that will be the penultimate chance for Salah to play in front of a home crowd in a Liverpool shirt. Arne Slot’s side end the season at home to Brentford and Liverpool will undoubtedly use that fixture to pay tribute to Salah. Long-standing left back Andy Robertson can also expect a hero’s farewell, but fans will hope to see the Egypt international on the pitch one final time.

Complicating the club situation is this summer’s World Cup. Salah will be keen to hurry back to action and bid farewell to his club, but he will not want to risk exacerbating a problem that could affect his involvement this summer in what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance.

The coming days and medical assessments will be decisive. Liverpool’s remaining schedule and the timing of recovery will decide whether supporters will witness Salah one more time at Anfield before the season closes.