Pep Guardiola: “In the first half we did make mistakes but we made a comeback and Kevin de Bruyne won the game with his actions, his assists, his goals and everything,” the Manchester City boss tells TNT.
“We won the game with him. I didn’t know that [De Bruyne] enjoyed scoring goals more than assists but I keep pushing him to say we have to win games. He has won many games for us, no doubt. It was really good his performance.
“We will see which players we have available [for Real Madrid on Tuesday] because Josko [Gvardiol] had a little problem. We will see. Next one. We were unlucky to play early on after Aston Villa but now lucky we have time to recover before Real Madrid. We will try to give them a good game.”
Match report: Crystal Palace 2-4 Man City
Premier League: Kevin De Bruyne crowned a man-of-the-match performance with two fine strikes as Manchester City came from behind to beat their hosts at Selhurst Park. John Brewin reports from Selhurst Park …
Kevin De Bruyne: “I think [my performance] was good,” he tells TNT. “It’s a very untypical seasopn after being out for six months and coming back. Sometimes I feel good and sometimes I need a little bit of time for my body. I’ve tried to prepare myself the best way possible and try to do the job as good as possible.”
Rico Lewis: “To get a result like this is amazing,” the City defender tells TNT Sports. “The reason for Akanji coming on was because Josko [Gvardiol] was feeling a bit of a niggle and we don’t want to risk any injuries. Manuel brings so much quality to the side as well, coming inside from the left and getting on the ball.
“The main message [at half-time] was to keep on going and keep persisting because most of our games are going to be like this, where we control the game and they sit deep. You know the chances will come and the message has been to get into the box and that’s what we did today.”
Full-time: Crystal Palace 2-4 Manchester City
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! City were forced to come from behind but ran out comfortable winners in the end. They were far too good for a dogged Crystal Palace side who played quite well but simply couldn’t get on the ball for long periods of the game.
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90+7 min: Bernardo Silva is bundled over by Joel Ward and City win a free-kick. The ball’s quickly played up the left for Grealish, who cuts inside and sends a shot from distance well wide of the far post. The final whistle is blown and Manchester City go level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
90+5 min: Olise tussles with Akanjki out by the right touchline and the City defender comes out on top. City break upfield and play is stopped when Lerma goes to ground with a head injury after a challenge from Haaland.
90+4 min: Ahamada fouls Lewis and City win a free-kick inside their own half. There’ll be a minimum of seven extra minutes.
90+2 min: City substitution: Kevin De Bruyne, who scored two goals and has been generally outstanding this afternoon, makes way for Bernardo Silva.
89 min: Olise plays a long diagonal ball to Clyne and his cross into the City penalty area from the left is put out for a corner. City fail to clear it properly and Lerma takes a shot that Ortega saves comfortably, despite having his view impaired.
88 min: Olise charges forward but is tackled by Kovacic. The substitute wins the ball back and sends a cross into the City penalty area. Jeffrey Schlupp tries to get his head to the ball but it’s a mite too far away from him.
87 min: Their tails up, Palace get forward again but Michael Olise loses possession to Jack Grealish on the edge of the City penalty area.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-4 Man City (Edouard 86)
Palace get a look-in. Odsonne Edouard pokes home from close range at the near post after the ball was crossed his way by Jeffrey Schlupp.
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84 min: Palace can’t get a look-in as City’s players continue to run rings around them. It must be incredibly dispiriting for the players on the home side.
82 min: Palace substitution: Naouirou Ahamada on, Will Hughes off.
81 min: An error from John Stones allows Odsonne Edouard to shoot from seven yards. His effort is blocked by Ruben Dias. That was a good chance but Edouard didn’t get enough power behind his shot.
79 min: Munoz tries to break forward up the right but his low ball inside is intercepted.
77 min: Palace remain under siege, their players physically and mentally exhausted, and utterly unable to get any possession of the ball.
75 min: Palace triple-substitution: Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard and Nathaniel Clyne on for Ayew, Mitchell and Mateta
74 min: City double-substitution: Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic on for Alvarez and Rodri.
72 min: Haaland pulls the ball across the Palace penalty area from the left but it’s cleared before anyone in a white shirt can get on the end of it.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-4 Man City (De Bruyne 70)
And another! Grealish plays the ball into the penalty area from the byline, Rodri tees up Kevin De Bruyne with a neat touch and he sends his second screamer of the afternoon into the back of the net.
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69 min: De Bruyne sends a raking diagonal pass out to Rico Lewis on the right touchline, as City continue to play keep-ball.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-3 Man City (Haaland 67)
City extend their lead. Erling Haaland gets in front of Jefferson Lerma to stab the ball home from about six yards out after it was squared his way by Kevin De Bruyne. Jack Grealish was good in the build-up, slipping the Belgian into a little pocket of space in the penalty area with a neat pass.
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65 min: City continue to dominate possession, leaving Palace’s increasingly tired players chasing shadows.
64 min: Palace substitution: Jeffrey Schlupp comes on for Eberechi Eze.
63 min: Jean-Philippe Mateta is booked for treading on Rodri’s ankle with a mistimed lunge.
61 min: Bobb stands the ball up for Haaland, who is beaten in the air by Joachim Anderson.
59 min: De Bruyne overhits a cross from the left into the Palace penalty area and Bobb collects it out near the right touchline. The ball is ferried back to De Bruyne, who curls a shot wide. Palace are seriously under the cosh here, being stretched all over the pitch. They are struggling to get a touch of the ball.
58 min: Rodri floats the ball towards Haaland in the Palace penalty area but is unable to pick out the big Norwegian and the home side clears.
57 min: City pass and probe around the edge of the Palace penalty area but a poor delivery from Akanji sends the ball out of play for a goal-kick.
56 min: City take the corner and the ball is pulled back to Jack Grealish, who shoots high over the bar from distance.
53 min: Rico Lewis plays the ball through the centre into the Palace penalty area and Kevin De Bruyne tries to nod it into the path of Erling Haaland, who is unable to fire off a shot but wins a corner for City.
52 min: Munoz plays the ball across the face of the City penalty area from the right flank but is unable to pick out a teammate. City clear their lines.
51 min: City continue to dominate, hogging the ball as they ping it hither and yon, looking for another opening.
49 min: City didn’t have much joy down the left flank in the first half but after Pep’s change in personnel at half-time, it’s from that side of the pitch that their second goal came from.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Man City (Lewis 47)
Man City take the lead! Jack Grealish crosses into the penalty area, the ball sits up nicely for Rico Lewis and he spanks it into the bottom corner from asbout 14 yards out.
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47 min: Mateta finds himself on the ball in the City penalty area without anyone up in support and tries to beat Stefan Ortega with a low shot towards the near post. Wide.
Second-half: Crystal Palace 1-1 Man City
46 min: Play resumes with Manchester City on the ball and Pep Guardiola has made a change. Manuel Akanji is on for Josko Gvardiol. It is still extremely windy at Selhurst Park.
Analysis: City have dominated possession but been largely restricted to pot shots from distance by a resolute and well organised Crystal Palace defence. A couple of extremely uncharacteristic errors from Rodri could have cost City dearly. He was responsible for giving the ball away when Jordan Ayew broke upfield and hit the bar, and it was his terrible backpass that almost allowed Mateta in to score a second for the home side. The City midfielder had Stefan Ortega to thank for saving his bacon on that occasion.
Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-1 Manchester City
Peep! It’s all square at the break, with Kevin De Bruyne having cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s fine opener with a wonderful shot from distance into the top corner. Palace’s players are applauded off by fans who are extremely happy with what they’ve seen from their team so far.
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45+2 min: Gvardiol gets booked for a foul on Mateta near the centre-circle. Eze sends the free-kick towards the edge of the City area, where Anderson gets his head to the ball. It ends up in the hands of Stefan Ortega.
44 min: Palace appeal for a penalty when Eze goes to ground under a challenge from Gvardiol in the City penalty area. Referee Paul Tierney doesn’t give a spot-kick and his video assistant ref Stuart Attwell doesn’t get involved either.
42 min: Stefan Ortega saves City with a wonderful bit of nifty footwork after Rodri had sold him short with a backpass, oblivious to the presence of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was ready to pounce.
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39 min: Rico Lewis tries his luck from the edge of the area after receiving the ball in a pocket of space. His shot is straight at Dean Henderson, who saves comfortably.
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37 min: Anderson plays the ball long and Mateta chases it. City win possession, Rodri gives it away again and Jordan Ayew gallops upfield with the ball at his feet. He clips the crossbar with his rising drive from distance.
36 min: Grealish gets on the ball again but is forced backwards by Daniel Munoz, who is doing a good job of marking the City left-winger.
34 min: De Bruyne tries to pick out Bobb on the byline with a neat little lofted pass but the winger is unable to keep the ball in play. Goal-kick for Palace.
33 min: City win another corner and take this one short. The ball finds it’s way to Julian Alvarez in a good position but he shoots well wide of the left upright.
32 min: Grealish gets on the ball out by the left touchline but is dispossessed by a robust challenge from Munoz.
31 min: Rico Lewis pulls the ball across the Palace penalty area at speed but neither Grealish nor De Bruyne can get a foot on it to steer it goalwards.
30 min: City left-back Josko Gvardiol tries a shot from distance but the ball cannons out of play off Joel Ward, who is popping up everywhere.
28 min: City win a corner, which Kevin De Bruyne takes. He sends the ball towards the near post, where Joel Ward puts it out for another corner. Ward is on hand again to clear the second set-piece.
27 min: Eze scampers forward into City territory with the ball at his feet but is unable to pick out Mateta with his pass. Rodri takes possession for City.
26 min: The ball’s played wide twoards Bobb but goes out for a City throw-in off Jefferson Lerma.
24 min: Bobb is penalised for handball as he tries to control the ball down by the byline. It’s a Palace free-kick but they immediately give the ball back to City.
22 min: City are keeping the hosts pinned back but lose possession when Jack Grealish goes down under a challenge from Daniel Munoz. The Palace full-back caught his ankle but Grealish is fit to continue after treatment.
20 min: Bobb and Rico Lewis combine down the right but the Norwegian gives the ball away after running into traffic.
19 min: A defence-splitting pass from De Bruyne puts Erling Haaland through on the Palace goal but Henderson is quick off his line to save with his foot.
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18 min: Stefan Ortega punches ther ball clear and it sits up nicely for Jordan Ayew. From just outside the City penalty area, he shoots over the bar.
16 min: With parity restored, City continue to dominate possession, much as you’d expect. Julian Alvarez slides off the pitch while contesting the ball and clatters an advertising hoarding. He seems unhurt.
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15 min: That was a fantastic shot from De Bruyne, about 20 yards out, just inside the Palace penalty area.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Man City (De Bruyne 13)
City draw level! Kevin De Bruyne cuts in from the left and whips a brilliant right-footed shot past Dean Henderson and into the top corner. It’s a wonderful strike and the goalkeeper didn’t get near the ball.
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12 min: City are dominating possession, trying to find a way through the Palace defence with their customary slick passing and probing.
11 min: Dean Henderson flings himself low to his left to tip a low Rodri shot that was heading for the bottom corner around the post. Excellent goalkeeping.
9 min: Still reeling from that early setback, City go close to equalising. Joel Ward is on hand to clear a low shot across the face of goal from Julian Alvarez, who had combined down the right with Oscar Bobb.
7 min: Palace break upfield with four attackers against two City defenders. A poor pass from Wharton means a promising counter-attack breaks down.
5 min: What a start for Palace, who score with their first counter-attack. They broke upfield after Adam Wharton had intercepted a poor pass by John Stones. He played a through ball to Mateta, who gaalloped upfield and opened the scoring with a low diagonal shot past Ortega.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City (Mateta 3)
Palace lead! Jean-Philippe Mateta scores from a counter-attack, firing past Ortega and wheeling away in celebration as his shot goes in off the foot of the far post.
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2 min: City win the first corner of the game and Kevin De Bruyne takes it. He whips the ball towards Haaland on the edge of the six-yard box and Joachim Anderson clears for Palace.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City is go ...
1 min: Crystal Palace get the ball rolling and send it long, immediately coughing up possession to the visitors.
Not long now: It’s an extremely windy afternoon in South London, as referee Paul Tierney and his team of match officials lead both sets of players out on to the pitch. As is customary, Selhurst Park is rocking ahead of kick-off. With a Champions League game against Real Madrid to come on Tuesday, Manchester CIty will be hoping to win with a minimum of fuss today.
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Today's match officials
Referee: Paul Tierney.
Assistants: Scott Ledger and Mat Wilkes.
Fourth official: Darren Bond.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.
Pep Guardiola has warned his players not to take their eye off the Premier League because it would be “almost impossible” for Manchester City to retain the title if they drop any points in their final seven matches of the season. Will Unwin reports …
Those teams: Crystal Palace field the same side that started against Bournemouth in midweek. Michael Olise returns to the bench and Oliver Glasner has said the midfielder will play 15 or 20 minutes today.
Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the side that beat Aston Villa on Wednesday night. Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb and John Stones come into the side, while Manuel Akanji, Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden all drop to the substitutes’ bench, where they will be joined by Ederson, who has returned from injury.
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Crystal Palace v Manchester City line-ups
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Ward, Andersen, Lerma, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Eze, Mateta, Ayew.
Subs: Tomkins, Olise, Schlupp, Clyne, Edouard, Ahamada, Matthews, Ozoh, Umeh.
Manchester City: Ortega, Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Bobb, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Grealish, Haaland.
Subs: Kovacic, Doku, Bernardo Silva, Gomez, Akanji, Matheus Luiz, Ederson, Foden, Susoho.
Early team news
The Crystal Palace medical staff are being kept busy and Oliver Glasner has had to prepare for this game without Chris Richards, Rob Holding, Sam Johnstone, Cheick Doucoure, Marc Guehi, Matheus Franca and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. The good news for Palace fans is that Michael Olise has recovered from the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for two months and will probably start on the substitutes’ bench.
Manchester City defenders Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake are out with injury, but Ederson could start in goal after recovering from a muscle injury. John Stones is also reported to be fit, while Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland could return to Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up after being rested in midweek.
Premier League: Crystal Palace v Manchester City
Selhurst Park is the venue for today’s early Premier League kick-off, with Crystal Palace hosting a Manchester City side that are three points off the top of the table and can overtake leaders Liverpool, for a day at least, if they win by four goals.
Palace come into this game on the back of midweek defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, while City swatted Aston Villa aside as Phil Foden put on a masterclass at the Etihad Stadium. Kick-off in south-west London is at 12.30pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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