Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City
by Joseph Musa
at Selhurst Park

ENZO MARESCA was delighted with Manchester City’s performance on Friday night. 

“I liked the sacrifice and the desire off the ball, if we’re able to match the intensity of the opponents, I think with the quality we have, we can do something important.”

The home team started sharply as Gianluigi Donnarumma was called called into action in the second minute to save at his near post from Eddie Nketiah’s shot.

A minute later from the resulting corner, Daichi Kamada had a shot in the box which looked to be heading on target but was blocked for another corner.

As City grew into the game, up stepped last season’s Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland, the Norwegian beat Dean Henderson in the 17th minute with a precise looped header from Antoine Semenyo’s right-footed in-swinging cross.

The away side continued their dominant spell, and Phil Foden should have got on the scoresheet as he had two chances to score within five minutes. The first was a big chance which he skied over the goal and would have finished off a patient passing move.

Palace had chances to equalise, Jorgen Strand Larsen had the first as his header went wide, although Donnarumma was stranded.

Eddie Nketiah also arrived with a header which he should have scored, but again the ball went wide of the mark after Adam Wharton’s right-footed cross.

It was a first half that City dominated but Pierre Sage would have been disappointed his side didn’t score, given the chances they had.

The Crystals performed as usual at half-time and not long after, an inspired Rayan Cherki danced his way into the box and rolled the ball into the net to double City’s lead in the 54th minute.

Yeremy Pino helped halve the deficit two minutes later as the World Cup winner struck a wicked free kick that bounced off the bar and hit Donnarumma’s back, the ball crossed the line resulting in an own goal for the Italian captain.

Within a few minutes, City regained their two-goal advantage as playmaker Cherki struck from outside the area with his right foot. A slight deflection took it away from Henderson.

City were in total control for a large period, as the tempo of the game calmed down after three goals in a five-minute spell between both sides.

The 18-year-old academy graduate Ryan McAidoo nearly scored immediately after coming on for his Premier League debut, cutting in from the right and his left-footed strike just went wide of Henderson’s goal.

A minute later in the 84th, City made it 4-1 as Foden dribbled with the ball through the middle before passing to Haaland and the striker emphatically finished to double his tally.

Sage expressed hopes for his Palace team to play better and mentioned the importance of team cohesion, despite the uncertainty surrounding the futures of absent attackers, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr.