Manchester City 5, Crystal Palace 2
33-year-old Kevin De Bruyne rolled back the years after he scored one and assisted another as Manchester City came from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2.
Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards had earlier put the Eagles 2-0 up and they might have been 3-0 up had Eze not had another goal ruled out for offside.
City have had by their standards a poor season but they quickly got back on par and two of the three academy graduates that Pep Guardiola named in the starting lineup (James McAtee, Nico O’Reilly, and Rico Lewis) got on the scoresheet.
De Bruyne had already hit the post before his free kick reduced the deficit and Omar Marmoush levelled the scores before half time.
And after the break Mateo Kovacic put City into the lead before James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly polished off the Eagles who had long since clocked off in the afternoon heat.
Semi automated offside’s first application was against Manchester City where their poor attempt to claim offside was exposed by Palace.
Omar Marmoush ran clear with the ball only for his shot to be saved by Dean Henderson while Kevin De Bruyne’s followup with the rebound was blocked for a corner as City tried to respond quickly.
But worse was to come as City gave away a corner from which Adam Wharton’s corner was headed home by Chris Richards who outmuscled Ruben Dias in the air to easily beat Ederson.
Ismaila Sarr then blazed over after Palace turned a classic City cutback against their hosts who did hit the post through Kevin De Bruyne.
Eze had the ball in the back of the net again after Daniel Munoz swept a cross to him but semi-automated offside did its job again and decided that the winger was marginally offside to City’s relief.
City got a free kick after Daichi Kamada fouled Nico Gonzalez 21 yards out and this time De Bruyne’s free kick reduced the deficit.
Just 3 minutes later Omar Marmoush levelled the scores after De Bruyne headed the ball across the area, Ilkay Gundogan got a boot to it but the Egyptian finished the loose ball.
Shortly after half time Mateo Kovacic smashed City into the lead with a low shot after De Bruyne had turned Nico O’Reilly’s cutback across his path. The academy youngster needed a brief semi automated offside check to confirm he was onside in the buildup.
And City made it 4-2 with a solo effort from James McAtee who profited from Ederson’s long punt upfield, he stayed onside and rifled in a goal that gave City extra breathing space and celebrated with an acrobatic somersault.
And Marmoush and Gundogan had shots blocked as City looked to score a fifth goal against the stunned Eagles.
With the afternoon heat getting to both teams the pace had to slow down and Ederson limped off to be replaced by Stefan Ortega with City looking to starve Palace of the ball.
City got their fifth when Chris Richards could only divert a cross from the right into Nico O’Reilly’s path and the midfielder scored his first Premier League goal for the club with a volley.
Omar Marmoush and James McAtee were then replaced by Oscar Bobb and Savinho for the last 8 minutes of the game – Bobb was greeted with warm applause – as City saw out the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 5, Crystal Palace 2
Ederson: 6. Exposed by incisive Crystal Palace attacks, poor for the second goal but made up for that with a big punt upfield to find James McAtee for his goal. Went dow in the second half and had to be replaced by Stefan Ortega.
Rico Lewis: 6. Looked better suited to being in midfield. Started a good counter attack with a pass out of defence.
Ruben Dias: 6. Slow to react to danger from first goal by Ebereche Eze. Outmuscled for second goal.
Josko Gvardiol: 6. Missed chance to block the cross for Eze’s goal. Good interception at the back. Marauded forward when he could.
Nico O’Reilly: 7. Did the best he could at left back despite being out of position. Much better going forward and his cutback eventually led to the goal that gave City the lead for the first time after he stayed onside to get the ball. He then volleyed his first Premier League goal with a sweet strike to put the game beyond Palace.
Nico Gonzalez: 6. Most of Crystal Palace’s attacks bypassed him, will probably be better next season once he gets used to the physicality of the .
Mateo Kovacic: 7. Defensive frailties exposed in first half but scored the goal that put City into the lead and help run the show in the second half.
Kevin De Bruyne: 9. Showed his talent and energy as he showed City fans just what they would be missing when he leaves this summer. Created a chance for Omar Marmoush with a great through ball and saw his follow-up shot blocked. Later crashed an effort off the post and then scored a free kick in off the same post before his header back across the area precipitated the second goal. Turned Nico O’Reilly’s cutback into the path of Mateo Kovacic to put City into the lead.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7. Linked up well close to goal, tried to get control a header from Kevin De Bruyne but ended up setting up the equaliser for Omar Marmoush.
James McAtee: 7. With a bit more composure could have had a hat trick. Started the move that ended with the equaliser. Blazed over in the second half before finishing an expansive punt upfield by Ederson and celebrating with a somersault.
Omar Marmoush: 7. Pretty much the only pay in City’s team. Scored the equaliser.
Stefan Ortega (on for Ederson): 6. Very little for him to do.
Oscar Bobb (on for Omar Marmoush, 82): No time to mark
Savinho (on for James McAtee, 82): No time to mark
Grealish (on for Mateo Kovacic, 82): No time to mark
Jeremy Doku (on for Kevin De Bruyne): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 5, Crystal Palace 2
Man City 0, Crystal Palace 1: 8. Eberechi Eze arrived at the back post to finish off a cross from the right from 6 yards out by Ismaila Sarr after City failed to spot the danger.
Man City 0, Crystal Palace 2 : 21. Chris Richards had an easy header to put Palace into a 2-0 lead after outmuscling Ruben Dias to get to Adam Wharton’s corner.
Man City 1, Crystal Palace 2: 33. Kevin De Bruyne spotted a weakness in Dean Henderson’s positioning at a free kick and crashed a free kick in off a post from 21 yards out.
Man City 2, Crystal Palace 2: 36. Omar Marmoush finished off the loose ball after Ilkay Gundogan could not control the loose ball following Kevin De Bruyne’s header back across the area.
Man City 3 Crystal Palace 2: 47. Mateo Kovacic smashed in a low drive from the edge of the area after City executed their classic cutback from the touchline via Nico O’Reilly and Kevin De Bruyne. Semi Automated offside had a look before confirming the goal.
Man City 4, Crystal Palace 2: 56. Acrobatic celebration for James McAtee after he got on the end of the long ball forward from Ederson, allowing the bounce to fox Dean Henderson before taking it past him and scoring from an acute angle.
Man City 5, Crystal Palace 2: 80. Nico O’Reilly’s goalbound shot went in with a deflection off Nathaniel Clyne after Chris Richards had cleared a cross from the right into his path.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 5, Crystal Palace 2
Man City: Ederson (Ortega 71), Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Nico, Kovacic (Doku 87), De Bruyne (C) (Grealish 87), Gundogan, McAtee (Savinho 82), Marmoush (Bobb 82)
Man City Subs not used: Silva, Reis, Nunes, Khusanov
Bookings: Nico 40 (foul on Jean-Philippe Mateta); McAtee 68
Goals: De Bruyne 36; Marmoush 40; Kovacic 47; McAtee 56; O’Reilly 80
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lerma, Lacroix (Clyne 63), Munoz, Wharton (Devenny 80), Kamada, Mitchell (Chilwell 63), Sarr, Eze (Franca 80), Mateta (Hughes 46)
Crystal Palace Subs not used: Matthews, Ward, Umeh-Chibuenze, Kporha
Bookings: Kamada 32 (foul on Nico Gonzalez); Lacroix 54; Lerma 90+4 (foul on Jeremy Doku)
Goals: Eze 8; Richards 21
Referee: Jarred Gillett