Report & Highlights: Palace suffer defeat at Manchester City

The Eagles made the brighter start and had several early opportunities whilst keeping the hosts at bay, but two quickfire goals towards the end of the first-half from Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush gave Pep Guardiola’s side a measure of comfort.

Palace often looked the more likely side to score in the second-half, but a late effort from Savinho saw Oliver Glasner’s side depart the Etihad empty-handed.

Summary:

• Four changes for Palace as Lerma, Hughes, Pino and Mateta all start.
• 2: Johnson runs through and squares for Mateta – the flag goes up late.
• 12: Pino’s effort deflects narrowly wide, moments before Richards heads over from Hughes’ corner.
• 20: Ait-Nouri makes inroads from the left for City but strikes into the side-netting.
• 32 – Goal: City take the lead as Semenyo finishes from Foden’s back-heel.
• 33: Mitchell’s effort is turned away by Donnarumma as Palace look to hit back.
• 40 – Goal: Marmoush spins and slams City into a two-goal lead.
• 43: Henderson makes a stunning save from Gvardiol’s goalbound header.
• HT: Man City 2-0 Palace
• 60: Both teams make heavy changes on the hour, as Wharton, Sarr and Strand Larsen all come on for Palace.
• 63: Sarr seizes onto Bernardo Silva’s poor backpass, but he can’t truly test Donnarumma.
• 83: Wharton’s delightful dink frees Strand Larsen, but his finish clears the crossbar.
• 84 – Goal: Savinho wraps up the scoring for City.
• 90+5: Kamada’s late curler threatens for Palace, but Stones deflects it behind.
• FT: Man City 3-0 Palace

With Oliver Glasner challenging his players to keep their performances level high in the build-up to – and, more importantly, keep improving their levels towards – the UEFA Conference League Final, the Manager made four changes to his side.

Jean-Philippe Mateta made his 199th appearance in all competitions for the Eagles, returning to the starting XI, and was supported by Brennan Johnson and the returning Yéremy Pino in attack. The midfield engine room was also rotated, with both Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma starting.

Although hosts City were the pre-match favourites as they sought to rival Arsenal for the Premier League title, Palace undoubtedly made the brighter start.

Inside two minutes, a diagonal ball from Pino found Johnson running in behind and, as he shaped to shoot, the Wales international instead played the ball across goal for Mateta to strike. Gianluigi Donnarumma somehow saved – and then the flag went up anyhow.

Palace’s sharp counters were proving the only real attacks of note, and amidst the Manchester downpour, some wonderful hold-up play by Mateta saw Tyrick Mitchell break down the left side. His pull-back found Pino, who side-footed goalwards – only for Josko Gvardiol to make a crucial intervention for the hosts.

There was another opportunity moments later as Hughes’ corner found Chris Richards but, having beaten his former teammate Marc Guéhi – playing against Palace for the first time since his January switch to the Citizens – to the ball, the American headed over.

For all their possession, the hosts were struggling to break down Palace’s well-drilled defence in the opening quarter of the game – Rayan Ait-Nouri having the only real opportunity, snatching at his effort and hitting the side-netting.

In truth, at a rather muted Etihad Stadium, it was a fairly flat first half-an-hour – particularly given that City needed to win to prevent Arsenal from having the opportunity to clinch the league title at the weekend.

But then, on 32 minutes, their quality came to the fore: a delightful Phil Foden back-heel gave Semenyo space to shoot inside the box, and his low, early finish across the goalkeeper gave Dean Henderson little chance to keep the ball out.

Palace, as they so often have done this season, looked to respond immediately, and some sharp passing around the City box saw Mateta square for Mitchell; his first-time effort had plenty of swerve on it, but was turned round the post by Donnarumma.

Chances were beginning to flow in the game, and two minutes after Maxence Lacroix had made a goal-saving challenge on Omar Marmoush, the hosts made it two.

Gvardiol scooped the ball over the backline, Foden guided it into the six-yard box, and Marmoush spun his man before slamming home – despite Henderson getting a leg to it.

And City could have been out of sight seconds before half-time, were it not for an outstanding clawing save – at full stretch – by Henderson from Gvardiol’s header, Foden again the architect.

Work, then, for Palace to do in the second-half – but City’s attack is never easy to keep quiet, and only a solid block tackle from Lacroix denied Marmoush the chance to shoot after some sharp one-touch passing after the restart.

On the hour mark, both teams made significant changes; with Glasner having admitted ahead of the game that he would be judicious in his sharing of minutes ahead of the Final, Adam Wharton, Ismaïla Sarr and Jørgen Strand Larsen all came on after 60 minutes.

The two attackers were immediately involved; seconds after Strand Larsen had tested Donnarumma’s handling from a tight angle, Sarr seized onto a poor backpass by Bernardo Silva, but could not generate enough power to beat the Italian ‘keeper on his left foot.

With City dominant in possession and managing the half, there were a few half-opportunities for the Eagles to get back into the contest whenever passing at the back did go awry – substitute Daichi Kamada perhaps having the best of them.

Strand Larsen perhaps had Palace’s best chance of the half after Wharton’s wonderful outside-of-the-boot pass let the striker run in behind – yet the Norway forward, taking it early, cleared the bar with a powerful effort.

And moments later, City’s scoring concluded as Rayan Cherki advanced on the Palace box and slipped in Savinho with a well-weighted pass; the Brazilian duly finished across Henderson, the points staying in Manchester.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Muñoz (Clyne, 82), Hughes (Wharton, 60), Lerma, Mitchell, Pino (Sarr, 60), Johnson (Kamada, 75), Mateta (Strand Larsen, 60).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Riad, Cardines, Devenny.

Man City: Donnarumma (GK), Nunes (Ake, 58), Khusanov, Guehi, Gvardiol (Doku, 58), Ait-Nouri, Silva (Kovacic, 79), Foden (Stones, 82), Semenyo, Savinho, Marmoush (Cherki, 79).

Subs: Trafford (GK), Dias, Reijnders, Haaland.

As It Happened