Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2 – Eagles can have no complaints as quickfire double sends them to defeat

BY SAM SMITH

Manchester City were dominant as they beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park, with a quickfire double just before half-time seeing off the south Londoners.

The Eagles struggled to enter the visitors’ half in the opening stages, and when they did their attacks were too easily broken down.

Instead, Pep Guardiola’s side swarmed the Palace half. Fernandinho and Rodrigo started as a defensive pairing despite being natural midfielders but spent the majority of the game in midfield anyway – such was their dominance of the space on the pitch.

Although they had plenty of half-chances, it was not until 20 minutes that Wayne Hennessey was forced into a save. Ilkay Gundogan’s shot took a wicked deflection and the Welshman’s stop was unconvincing, beating the ball back into the middle of the penalty area with attackers lurking.

The hosts’ best first-half opportunity was a deflected Luka Milivojevic free-kick that failed to test Ederson and they would have done incredibly well to head back into half-time on level terms.

Palace held on until 39 minutes when Jesus flicked in Bernardo Silva’s cross, with Hennessey unable to do anything as the ball squirmed in via the post. Two minutes later, a sweeping move from right to left found Raheem Sterling whose dinked pass allowed David Silva to swivel and volley in a second.

The South Londoners were aggrieved when Kevin de Bruyne escaped even a yellow card when a high foot caught Cheikhou Kouyate in the face just before half-time. That and a below-par performance seemed to have Roy Hodgson’s side fired up early in the second half and their best move of the game ended with Kouyate blazing high and wide.

Sterling then flicked the outside of the post and struck another effort wide as the Mancunian outfit sought a third. The visitors also had very valid claims for a penalty when De Bruyne went down under a challenge by Wilfried Zaha, who appeared to push the Belgian as he headed for the byline.

Hennessey was starting his first league game since March and appeared uneasy. He flapped at several crosses and does not have the same sense of assurance that the injured Vicente Guaita has in abundance.

However, the Wales international made an excellent save to deny a powerful Jesus drive on 72 minutes. He then tipped over when the Portuguese Silva was allowed too much time to cut inside and curl towards goal.

Palace suddenly came alive. Patrick van Aanholt had an effort blocked just in front of goal. Christian Benteke replaced Luka Milivojevic and immediately had a header incredibly tipped onto the crossbar by Ederson.

But what happens when you commit players forward against a team so good is that space opens up. De Bruyne struck the post with a header and Sterling miscued an effort from which he should have scored, but failed to tap home Joao Cancelo’s cross with the goal gaping.

There was to be no late consolation either, despite Palace at least putting up a good fight. As the clock ticked into added-time, Ederson prevented a fizzing Zaha strike before Jordan Ayew struck the rebound over the bar.

PICTURES BY KEITH GILLARD