With how this season’s gone for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola probably can’t wait for it to come to an end. His side are still battling for a top-four spot though, and their chances took a hit inside 10 minutes, when a sweeping Palace move culminated in Ismaïla Sarr squaring for the unmarked Eberechi Eze to tap home at the far post.
City ought to have drawn level within minutes when the departing Kevin De Bruyne freed Omar Marmoush in behind, but he was thwarted by the midriff of Dean Henderson when one-on-one.
Guardiola felt Chris Richards pulled Marmoush at the vital moment as he went to shoot and felt he should’ve been sent off.
His mood won’t have been helped soon after then, when Richards climbed highest inside the area to head home Adam Wharton’s corner from inside the six-yard box.
He must’ve been feeling worse still when Eze swept home a third, but fortunately for the Spaniard, the offside flag spared his side’s blushes.
City took full advantage of that reprieve too, halving the deficit shortly after the half-hour mark through De Bruyne, who crashed a 30-yard free-kick in off the post.
James McAtee should’ve equalised almost straight from the restart, but with City’s tails firmly up, they didn’t have to wait too much longer for a leveller.
There was an element of fortune to how the ball fell to Marmoush inside the area, but there was nothing lucky about the finish as he leathered home from six yards out.
The comeback should’ve been complete before the break, but within two minutes of the restart, City had the job done.
There was an element of simplicity about it, as De Bruyne teed up Mateo Kovačić on the edge of the area who simply swept the ball into the bottom corner.
McAtee had spurned at least two great chances to mark his inclusion today, and he did eventually get his goal as he burst in behind to latch onto Ederson’s measured ball in behind, bringing the ball down, rounding Henderson and rolling into an empty net.
City looked close to their irrepressible best at times today, and duly added a fifth goal 10 minutes from time, with Nico O’Reilly providing it as he volleyed home from the edge of the area. That rounded off a great win for City, who have now heaped a wealth of pressure on their top-four rivals to perform later this weekend.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
