Manchester City 3-0 Crystal Palace: Clinical Sky Blues pile pressure on leaders Arsenal

The opening ten minutes saw much of the play in the Palace half as Man City placed sustained pressure. City having numerous corners but not threatening Dean Henderson from any of those.

Palace were having sporadic chances on the break, but nothing clear cut from either side in the opening fifteen.

The home side were being reduced to long range efforts. Both Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov seeing their efforts rise over the crossbar.

Rayan Aїt-Nouri was the first City player to bare down on goal after bundling his way through the Palace defence. However, he dragged his shot into the side netting but the title chasing side were edging ever closer to the opener.

A fairly disjointed opening half hour from the Sky Blues who had made six changes from their last game. However, they found the all-important first goal through some fantastic link-up play and individual brilliance.

Phil Foden receiving the ball with his back to goal but was aware of his surroundings as he played a clever backheel through to Antoine Semenyo. The man who moved to Man City in January made no mistake and finished emphatically.

The Eagles looked to respond immediately, as just a minute after the opener Tyrick Mitchell found himself in an array of space. He struck the ball well and Donnarumma was forced to just bat the ball away from goal.

Five minutes before the end of the half the hosts doubled their lead. Josko Gvardiol lifting a ball into the path of Foden who helped it across to Omar Marmoush.

The Egyptian could not get his shot off first time and spun on the chance. He then struck it goal bound where it took a slight deflection before finding the back of the net.

Just a few minutes later the Citizens thought their side had a third. Phil Foden at the centre of the action again as he put a brilliant cross into the box.

The cross was met by Gvardiol who does everything right with his header, but Dean Henderson pulled off a fantastic save to deny him. The Palace keeper was at full stretch and clawed the ball back from behind him to keep his side in the game.

There was only one minute of additional time at the end of the first half, and City went into the half with a two-goal lead.

Despite their slower start, the second-place side found their rhythm and dominated the first half. Crystal Palace have been reduced to chances few and far between and have failed to have any big chances with just 3 touches inside the opposition box.

Man City started the second half on top again with very little action in the opening ten minutes. Mitchell picked up the first booking of the game after a late challenge Savinho.

Just prior to the hour mark, the home side made the first changes of the game bringing on Nathan Ake and Jérémy Doku for Matheus Nunes and Josko Gvardiol.

City then saw a flurry of chances as the ball pinballed around the box. Marmoush with the final effort that fell wide of the Palace goal.

On the hour mark Oliver Glasner brought on three of Crystal Palace’s key players: Jorgen Strand-Larsen, Adam Wharton, and Ismaїla Sarr. The changes feeling planned ahead of the Eagles’ big European Conference League Final at the end of the month.

After creating very little Palace were almost gifted a lifeline back into the game. Bernado Silva with a wasteful back pass which was intercepted by Sarr. However, the chance perhaps fell to him too early after coming on as he failed to punish the Man City captain.

With twenty minutes left to play, Guardiola looked furious with his players as he urged them to get forward and kill the game. City were not completely out of the woods with Palace still threatening to get into the City box.

Despite this, Palace’s threat across the second half was summed up by a very poor corner from Brennan Johnson, just moments before he was substituted. His corner straight into the hands of Donnarumma and possession gifted back to the Sky Blues.

On 77 minutes Semenyo hit the visitors on the break and a chance began to open up for Doku on the edge of the box. The final ball from Semenyo was not good enough and was cut out with esse by the Palace defence.

Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Cherki were brought on for the final ten minutes replacing the captain Silva and goalscorer Marmoush.

Another lapse in concentration saw Man City in danger again. Substitute Daichi Kamada intercepting Donnarumma’s pass intended for Guehi.

Kamada was anticipating a challenge from the oncoming Kovacic and threw himself to the ground. The referee saw straight through this and Kamada received a booking for simulation.

To the delight of the home fans, John Stones made one of his final appearances for the club before his departure at the end of the season.

Glasner’s men had a late chance to get back into the game when Strand Larssen was bearing down on goal after a fantastic ball from Wharton. However, he failed to keep his effort on target, and once again Palace were poor in the final third.

A minute later the forward would rue the chance he missed. Cherki driving the ball from inside his own half at pace threaded a perfectly weighted ball to Savinho. The Brazilian making no mistake finishing expertly to score his first Premier League goal of the season and killing the game off.

Moments later the same pair were at it again. Cherki driving with the ball before playing the ball to Savinho. The forward in almost an identical position to where he scored his first, but this time he could only put the ball wide.

Palace failed to threaten and Man City saw the game out expertly to move within two points of league leaders Arsenal with two games to play.