Crystal Palace 0, Manchester City 1
Erling Haaland scored a penalty with 12 minutes to go as Manchester City beat a stubborn Crystal Palace side.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was the 34th goal of the season for the Norwegian who was ice cold with his spot kick as the pressure finally told at Selhurst Park and City moved to within two points of Arsenal having played a game more than their title rivals.
The home side threatened right at the end but couldn’t get a shot on target for the third game in succession – becoming the first team since records began in 2003-04 to record that unwanted statistic in the Premier League.
Match winner Haaland was delighted for the three points despite the attritional battle at Selhurst Park.
He said: “In the end we got the three points. It was not easy and every single game is a fight but we won and I’m really happy.
“Everyone knows how important winning is and we have to keep going.
“I don’t like to miss chances, I missed one in the first half but I kept going and got the next chance.
“Every single game is crucial now. Leipzig is next and after that Burnley. We have to win and focus on ourselves as there’s a lot of games left to play.”
Pep Guardiola was relieved to win at Crystal Palace, praising their opponents but also backing his own team’s efforts.
He said: ”Everytime we come to Selhurst Park it’s really tough.
“At home we have struggled more but here we played really good.
“It was a good performance from everyone.
“After we scored the goal they started to play – they have weapons in Zaha, Olise, Eze, and Ayew.
“They fought and had incredible weapons.
“I told my team ’Don’t lose your heads’ and the back four were brilliant.
“They defended six players in the box, man to man, and winning duels.
“It was a question of patience and we were lucky.
“Gundo made the penalty and Haaland did the rest.”
Guardiola selected four centre halves for the game at Crystal Palace.
Fit-again John Stones and Bernardo Silva were added to the team while Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne stepped down to the bench with one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League second leg game against Rb Leipzig in mind.
Rodri’s early volley was acrobatically saved by Vincente Guaita after 3 minutes while Jack Grealish danced towards the edge of the area but his near post shot went narrowly wide.
Ruben Dias’ early handball went unpunished as Wilfried Zaha tried to get past him but a bizarre advantage played allowed the Palace attack to fizzle out.
Akanji blocked a shot from Wilfried Zaha after Foden lost the ball in midfield
Erling Haaland blazed over from close range and Guaita blocked another fine chance to score by Rodri after Palace’s close marking denied City a clear chance of goal for much of the first half.
Despite an expansive first half from City they couldn’t break down a compact, organised and resilient Palace side who could have been down to 10 men after two agricultural fouls by Luka Milivojevic on Rodri.
And Palace’s defence shape contained City until Jack Grealish was fouled on the edge of the box ten minutes into the second half – Milivojevic was the offender – and Guaita dived to his right to block Foden’s free kick.
Julian Alvarez was introduced for the struggling Foden after 58 minutes as City chased a goal but the Argentine blazed over after quickly turning and shooting after the ball was passed into him by Grealish.
Naouirou Ahamada was subsequently brought on for Milivojevic.
And City continued to struggle against Palace’s low block until they won a penalty from a short corner after Michael Olise brought down Ilkay Gundogan with 14 minutes to go.
Haaland stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner with Guaita diving the wrong way.
Kevin De Bruyne came on for Bernardo Silva while Odson Edouard and Ebereche Eze came on for Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew as Palace were now chasing an equaliser.
There was a scuffle late on as Zaha tangled with John Stones after the City defender tried to pull him back.
Haaland headed a Grealish cross over the bar after the England man was released by a precision cross field ball by De Bruyne.
Olise’s late shot took a deflection and won a corner for Palace but they couldn’t fashion a shot on Ederson’s goal from it.
And Palace kept up the pressure without getting a shot off on City’s goal – Zara’s cutback went behind three Palace players who could have had a shot.
But in the end, despite being below their best again, City managed to pull a result out at a tricky venue to keep the title race simmering.