Foden catches fire as City dial up heat just a little on Arsenal
Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo (second left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Phil Foden was the star as Manchester City did what they could to test Arsenal's nerve at the top of the Premier League - but it was a performance that may have come too late for both club and country.
Foden's form this season has been so poor that it will be a shock if England manager Thomas Tuchel takes him to the World Cup.
But the 25-year-old gave a display that lent power to the old adage about class being permanent after Guardiola took a gamble on his team selection ahead of the FA Cup Final.
Foden had previously only managed three assists all season. But he set-up goals for Antione Semenyo and Omar Marmoush inside the space of eight first-half minutes as City came up with a result that challenged Arsenal to beat both Burnley and Palace in their last two games of the season to clinch their first title in 22 years.
Savinho's late strike put a little more gloss on City's performance. But Guardiola's side still trail the Gunners by the two points they dropped at Everton last week and still have tough games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa to come.
Foden's return to form will be welcomed by both Guardiola and Tuchel. He became the first Premier League player to create five first-half opportunities this season.
Yet while Guardiola will never admit it, his team-sheet had all the hallmarks of a letter of unconditional surrender in the race for the title.
Josko Gvardiol made his first appearance since breaking a leg in January, while Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki were on the bench. There were also opportunities for Foden, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Savinho.
The feeling that the Premier League is now bound for Emirates appeared to have spread to the fans, with lots of empty seats and a funereal atmosphere at the Etihad.
Guardiola will also be fretting over the fitness of midfield kingpin Rodri for the meeting with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday after the Spaniard was given more time to recover from the groin problem that has plagued him recently.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner also has other things on his mind, with the Londoners heading for the Europa Conference League Final next week. Adam Wharton and Ismaila Sarr started from the bench.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead after little more than 90 seconds, but Jean-Philippe Mateta's strike was brilliantly kept out by Gianluigi Donnarumma before an offside flag was raised.
Palace threatened again when Brennan Johnson broke down the left before crossing and Yeremy Pino's volley was deflected behind by Gvardiol just as Donnarumma was starting to panic.
Ait-Nouri drove City's first chance into the side-netting in the 20th minute. Then, the 32nd minute, after a period of possession that appeared to be going nowhere, City took the lead.
Matheus Nunes found Foden in space on the edge of the box with his back to goal, but the midfielder's cute backheel was so perfect that Semenyo didn't have to break stride before sending a low shot across keeper Dean Henderson and in off the far post.
Only Maxence Lacroix's timely tackle prevented Marmoush doubling the home side's advantage after the Egyptian had cut inside Jaydee Canvot to open up the angle on goal.
But Marmoush couldn't be denied five minutes before the break, when Foden flicked Gvardiol's pass towards him and this time the striker turned to fire home a shot that flew in off the leg of Henderson.
It took a stunning Henderson save to keep out Gvardiol's looping header after Foden had sent in a delicious cross just before the break.
Doku was summoned from the bench in the second half. Perhaps Guardiola felt he could crank up a little extra pressure on the Gunners with a few more goals should Mikel Arteta's side drop points.
But Palace found more control after Wharton, Sarr and Jorgen Strand Larsen were introduced on the hour. Sarr even managed to force Donnarumma into something that at least resembled a save.
Guardiola isn't known for his sentimentality, but he gave the home fans what they wanted when John Stones was sent on for the last eight minutes. The defender will leave the Etihad at the end of the season.
Strand Larsen then lifted a decent chance over for Palace before substitute Cherki's balletic 84th-minute run from inside his own half saw him serve up an opportunity that was steered inside the far post by Savinho.
Donnarumma 6; Nunes 6 (Ake 58 ), Khusanov 6, Guehi 6, Gvardiol 6 (Doku 58, 5); Foden 8 (Stones 82), Silva 7 (Kovacic 79, 5); Savinho 6, Ait-Nouri 6; Semenyo 6, Marmoush 7 (Cherki 79, 6).
Henderson 6; Richards 6, Lacroix 6, Canvot 5; Munoz 6 (Clyne 82), Hughes 5 (Wharton 60, 6), Lerma 5, Mitchell 6; Johnson 6 (Kamada 75, 5), Pino 6 (Sarr 60, 5); Mateta 5 (Strand Larsen 5).
Stuart Attwell.
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