MANCHESTER CITY 5, CRYSTAL PALACE 0
- David Silva scores after 2 minutes off a cutback from Raheem Sterling
- Vincent Kompany makes it 2-0 early in the second half from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross
- Kevin De Bruyne hit the bar; but later scored from Gabriel Jesus’ layoff on the hour
- Pablo Zabaleta’s cushioned header was struck past Hennessey on the half volley by Raheem Sterling after 82 minutes
- Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick was headed in by Nicolas Otamendi in injury time.
Manchester City climbed above Liverpool into third place with a 5-0 home win against Crystal Palace. The scene was set after David Silva scored City’s fastest goal at home this season in under two minutes.
Vincent Kompany doubled that lead early in the second half as Palace threatened to come back into the game before Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling put the game beyond the visitors after 60 and 82 minutes before Nicolas Otamendi’s flying header put the finishing touch on it in injury time.
Crystal Palace hardly got close to City, inexplicably giving David Silva, Leroy Sane, and Raheem Sterling free rein to cause havoc, and the bloody nose inflicted (acidentally) on Joel Ward by Sane in the closing stages only served to illustrate a dominant performance at the Etihad for the home team.
City also improved their goal difference over Liverpool to +4 – a factor which could be vital in the chase for Champions League qualification.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was pleased that City got over the problems presented by Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace side and responded with a glut of goals but was still mindful of City’s shortcoming this season in both boxes.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City create the most chances in the Premier League
He declared: “Only one team created more chances than us – Tottenham at White Hart Lane. The others – no chance.
“We are better than all the other teams in the Premier League, home and away.
“Even against the next Champions, Chelsea, here and at Stamford Bridge. We created more chances but in the boxes we are not good.
“Vincent helped us in just his presence to be better in our own box but in their box we are not good.
Guardiola added: “Today we scored in the first minutes and within five minutes in the second half.
“Benteke had a clear chance but Willy Caballero made an outstanding save.
“We created enough chances to go in the locker room with a better result at half time but we were lucky with an amazing goal from Vincent and after that it was a little bit easier.
“It was a good perfomance but I can remember similar performances when we were not able to score a goal.
“I am convinced the boxes were the difference today.”
Guardiola heaped praise on David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, both players who have been carving out chances all season long but this time found themselves on the scoresheet too.
He said: “The big big teams, [have players] when you are close to the box of the opponent, you don’t lose the ball.
“David is one of them. He can miss but not often. I am so happy that he scored and Kevin scored a goal after he hit the post again.
“If we arrived in the last 20 minutes in the game 1-0 against Crystal Palace we don’t win the game. I said to my players at half time either we score a goal or we forget about it.
“We had to be careful with [Wilfried] Zaha because things started from him.
“We can’t forget that Crystal Palace were able to win at Stamford Bridge and Anfield and were able to destroy Arsenal at home.
“I know the quality of their players and how good Sam Allardyce is. In a way he’s the only one who could do that.
Manchester City improve goal difference
Guardiola was happy to improve the goal difference and wanted to make a difference in the remaining games, pointing out that City could rest more in the second half after their goal blitz.
“The staff can enjoy the last 30-35 minutes without the pressure for the result and we can play better and improve our goal difference.”
Guardiola had earlier noted that Claudio Bravo would be missing for the rest of the season with a calf injury while he hoped John Stones would return after this game.
It was also too soon for Sergio Aguero after a groin injury sustained against Middlesbrough last weekend but David Silva recovered from his recent hamstring injury against Arsenal to start.
In all, City made four changes from the side that played against Middlesbrough with Silva, Leroy Sane, Yaya Toure, and Raheem Sterling starting, and the injured Aguero missing out along with Aleksandar Kolarov, Jesus Navas, and Aleix Garcia.
Early goals have been rare at the Etihad this season and Crystal Palace were sporting enough to give the not fully-fit Silva the run of midfield with City dominating the majority of possession.
City were out of the blocks early and Silva delayed a forward pass to Raheem Sterling before racing into the area to sweep the resulting cut-back home past Wayne Hennessey with less than two minutes on the clock.
It was his 50th goal for City and Palace, with four full backs in defence including former Leicester player Jeffrey Schlupp, were struggling.
With the likes of Gabriel Jesus running at them and constantly trying to win the ball back, Martin Kelly soon collected a booking for hauling him down.
The visitors were getting the run-around from City but although Hennessey was the busier of the two ‘keepers Willy Caballero had the most difficult save to make – when Willy Cabello had to dive to save a downward header from Christian Benteke from going past him in the 35th minute.
Palace only regained a little composure after that morale boosting effort but had somehow managed to keep the scoreline down as City’s wingers did all the hard work but didn’t overly test Hennessey.
Sane was particularly dangerous, producing a trio of nutmegs in the first half while Sterling seemed to grow in confidence during the game, trying his luck with shots rather than passing the ball on as he did early on.
Sane had a decent shot blocked by Hennessey while Sterling’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Patrick van Aanholt.
It was some surprise, then, that City didn’t score again until the second half.
Vincent Kompany had stayed up following a corner and David Silva brought the ball under control before laying it off for Kevin De Bruyne whose cutback found City’s captain inside the area – he smashed it past Hennessey into the roof of the net.
Kevin De Bruyne hits that woodwork again but scores soon after as City power to victory with goal glut
Kevin De Bruyne’s 20 yard free kick hit the bar while Fernandinho had a shot saved by Hennessey who was later grateful for intervention from Jason Puncheon as Sane and De Bruyne broke away.
There was little Hennessey could do with De Bruyne’s strike on the hour mark after Gabriel Jesus laid the ball off to him on the edge of the area and the Belgian struck it first time past the Welshman who got a hand to it but couldn’t stop it from going in.
By this time City were passing rings around the flagging visitors and City could afford to bring off David Silva who wasn’t fit enough to finish the game.
Wilfried Zaha had been Palace’s only attacking outlet to cause City’s defence problems, creating a chance for Mathieu Flamini that deflected off Nicolas Otamendi and had to be tipped over his own bar by Caballero.
City continued to generate chances though and a vintage move saw Yaya Toure’s crossfield pass find Pablo Zabaleta whose cushioned header down allowed Raheem Sterling the time to let the ball bounce once before he slashed it left footed past Hennessey 8 minutes from time.
City never stopped pressing home the advantage and got their fifth goal in injury time when De Bruyne’s free kick was headed past Hennessey by Otamendi.