Manchester City got back to winning ways as they comfortably beat relegation-battling Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium, which puts them above Liverpool in third.
City came into the game on the back of consecutive draws to Manchester United and Middlesbrough, with Pep Guardiola’s men looking to strengthen their top-four position by beating Crystal Palace, who have recently beaten sides such as Liverpool and Chelsea.
Palace are currently fighting for Premier League survival and previously lost to Burnley 2-0 at home, putting the Eagles in danger of dropping down into the Championship. Despite this, Palace have the firepower to beat anyone on their day, with the likes of Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha causing plenty of problems for opposition defences.
The game overall was a complete domination in both halves by Manchester City, with Palace pegged back in their own half for the majority of the game. David Silva, starting his 200th game for the club and coming back from injury, slotted in his 50th goal for the Citizens after two minutes. The goal came through Raheem Sterling, with his cross finding the Spaniard after Palace failed to clear their lines.
Just after half time, Vincent Kompany rifled in from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross to put City in a commanding position going into the rest of the game.
De Bruyne, after hitting the bar with a free-kick, calmly slotted in a third goal from the edge of the box, after a lay-off from Gabriel Jesus, to further dent Palace’s confidence. Wayne Hennessey, who was making some smart saves previous to this, could have done better to save the shot.
In the latter stages of the game, Raheem Sterling volleyed in a fourth after latching on to a header from substitute Pablo Zabaleta to smash the ball into the bottom corner. In the final moments, Nicolas Otamendi scored his first goal in nearly two years to make it 5-0 to the Citizens, and secure a crucial three points in the battle for top four.
Here are our City player ratings from the game.
Willy Caballero - 7
Caballero made a fantastic save from Christian Benteke’s header with the score at 1-0, which was crucial in helping City finish off the Eagles. Other than that, he had hardly anything to deal with.
Fernandinho - 7
Was given the tough task of dealing with Zaha, but he never abandoned his position and did his job very well. He also had a positive influence on the City attacks down the right flank.
A much better performance this time round.
Nicolas Otamendi - 8
When he performs like today, he is an exceptional centre-back, winning headers and making crucial interceptions in a controlled manner. He even got himself his first goal in nearly two years.
The jury is still out on whether he stays or goes in the summer, but when he plays alongside Kompany, he is a different player. Tough decision for Guardiola.
Vincent Kompany - 8
Despite getting a yellow card for a foul on Zaha, Kompany was calm and cool under pressure and scored a fantastic goal in a crucial point of the game.
Gael Clichy - 7
A much, much better performance from Clichy, supporting Leroy Sane going forward, passing around precisely and being much more defensively aware.
I still don’t think he will be here in the summer, particularly down to his inconsistencies.
Yaya Toure - 8
Toure was the heart of City’s offensive play, constantly controlling the midfield and the speed of play.
He may be 33 years of age, but he definitely makes a good case for a new deal at the club. A fantastic player.
Raheem Sterling - 6.5
A well-taken goal by Sterling and another assist, but he needs more confidence in front of goal as he passes the ball rather than shooting. Something Guardiola will want to work on with him for next season.
Other than that, decent performance.
Kevin De Bruyne - 8
World class. That is exactly what De Bruyne is when performs like that.
Against Palace he was influential in City’s resurgence in the second half, scoring a goal and providing two assists. If he can just keep this form, it will help City achieve a respectable position at the end of the season.
David Silva - 9
Silva was world-class today. He wasn’t even at full fitness and only played 67 minutes, but he was incredible. His creative play, as well as his well-taken goal, justifies him being the highest rated player. He now has 50 goals in 200 appearances. Incredible.
A Man of the Match performance.
Leroy Sane - 8
He was a thorn in Palace’s side, constantly running at the opposition defence, even with his shooting less than impressive. He even managed three nutmegs in the first half, which just shows how skilful he is on the ball.
The best signing for City this season?
Gabriel Jesus - 7.5
He has such incredible work rate and it was a shame he didn’t add to his goal tally. He managed to get an assist, which means he has been directly involved in six goals in six appearances for City (four goals, two assists).
Substitutions
Pablo Zabaleta (for Silva 67) – suppressed Zaha’s threat.
Kelechi Iheanacho (for Jesus 85) – no time to mark.