Clinical Man City close on Arsenal with victory over Palace
Manchester City's victory over Crystal Palace moved them to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire.
FAR from their imposing best, Manchester City displayed a clinical efficiency at Selhurst Park to move back to within two points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Two goals from Erling Haaland and a Phil Foden shot gave the scoreline a misleading look against a Crystal Palace side who struck the woodwork early - yet titles are ultimately based on scorelines.
It didn’t matter that Oliver Glasner won the tactical battle over Pep Guardiola for 70 minutes because Palace failed to convert their many opportunities, while City turned two of their three clear-cut chances in that period into goals.
Having lost two of their previous three Premier League away games at Aston Villa and Newcastle, and then only just scrambled across the line at Fulham, all that mattered in south London was the win that maintained City’s pursuit of Arsenal.
It was a curious game. Cagey, cautious, even tedious at times, the opening half-hour was akin to a 30-yard, pitch-wide moving blanket of outfield players shuffling backwards and forwards over the halfway line.
Riveting it was not as both sides played to deny the other midfield space in which to create opportunities.
Gradually, though, Glasner’s plan came into sharper focus, to condense the middle of the pitch as much as possible and then to look for a pass slid low but firmly into the feet of their front players.
Racing clear from an Adam Wharton pass, Yeremy Pino chose to lift the ball over the onrushing Gianluigi Donnarumma, but overdid it and clipped the top of the crossbar.
Ismaila Sarr wasted a hat-trick of chances, dragging one shot so wide, it almost turned into a cross and choosing inexplicably to turn inside into a forest of covering City defenders instead of taking the clear shot on goal that was on offer.
That last opportunity came early in the second half by which time Palace were trailing to Haaland’s 35th goal of an astonishing season.
It relied upon a fine cross from the right by Matheus Nunes, yet it was due more to Haaland making a yard of space towards the far post beyond Chris Richards and directing his header back beyond the flailing left arm of Palace keeper Dean Henderson.
In a curious first half in which the visitors enjoyed 72% possession, Haaland’s header was one of just four City touches of the ball inside the Palace penalty area.
Just as in the first period, Palace made the best opportunity of the second half, and squandered it. The impressive Wharton dispossessed Nico Gonzalez just outside the left side of the area. His shot beat Donnarumma only to cannon back off the post.
As the game entered its third quarter, City finally began to create attacking space for themselves. Tijjanu Reijnders tested Henderson before Rayan Cherki set off on a driving run infield and beat two defenders.
He laid the ball off to Foden and anticipated a return pass which didn’t come. Instead Foden simply swivelled and struck an unerring low shot into the bottom corner.
At the other end, another Wharton shot went over while substitute Eddie Nketiah saw his effort beaten away by Donnarumma.
The final action of note saw City’s own substitute Savinho break clear following a Palace corner and run 50 yards before being brought down by the hand of Henderson.
The Palace fans did their best to taunt Haaland over his decision not to take a penalty in City’s FA Cup final defeat against their side in May, but it had little effect as he rolled his spot-kick home.
Revenge for that Wembley defeat was sweet for Guardiola’s side, but closing on Arsenal mattered more.
Henderson 7; Richards 7, Lacroix 7, Guehi 8; Clyne 6 (Uche 77, 6), Wharton 8, Kamada 6 (Hughes 67, 6), Mitchell 6; Sarr 5, Pino; Mateta 6 (Nketiah 63, 6)Â
Donnarumma 6; Nunes 7, Dias 7, Gonzalez 5, Gvardiol 6, O’Reilly 6 (Ait-Nourri 90+1, 6); Cherki 6, Silva 6 (Lewis 90+1, 6), Reijnders 7 (Savinho 85, 6), Foden 7; Haaland 8 (Marmoush 90+1, 6)
Darren England
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