Report & Highlights: Palace beaten by clinical City

Summary:

• Five changes for Palace: Sarr returns, along with Henderson, Clyne, Mitchell & Mateta.
• 10: Clyne seizes onto a loose pass in the City box, but can’t get his shot away.
• 17: Pino fires a rising effort against the bar after being sent through by Wharton.
• 29: Henderson makes a smart save to keep out Foden’s low free-kick.
• 37: Palace continue to apply the pressure with clever running in behind.
• 41 – Goal: Haaland gives City the lead with a clinical header from Nunes’ delivery.
• 43: Mateta twice tests Donnarumma in quick succession as Palace respond well.
• HT: Palace 0-1 City
• 49: Wharton strikes the outside of the post after dispossessing Gonzalez.
• 57: Henderson kicks away from Reijnders as City midfielder drills low across goal.
• 67: Nketiah and Hughes enters the fray from the bench in quick succession.
• 69 – Goal: Foden finds space inside the ‘D’ to fire City into a two-goal lead.
• 81: Sarr and Hughes have efforts blocked as Eagles seek a route back into the game.
• 84: Nketiah’s late effort is turned round the post by Donnarumma.
• 89 – Goal: Haaland scores a late penalty after Savinho is felled by Henderson.
• FT: Palace 0-3 City

Ahead of our first meeting with Manchester City since our meeting at Wembley back in May, Oliver Glasner shuffled his pack, making five changes from the team which defeated Shelbourne 3-0 in Dublin on Thursday.

Ismaïla Sarr – injured against Manchester United in SE25 a fortnight ago – was back among the starters, as were Dean Henderson, Tyrick Mitchell, Nathaniel Clyne and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Walter Benítez, Justin Devenny, Borna Sosa, Eddie Nketiah and Christantus Uche all moved to the bench.

As was the case at Wembley some seven months ago, Palace began the game brightly, with Yéremy Pino – a constant threat throughout the first-half – almost bursting through on goal inside the opening 20 seconds, only to be denied by an offside flag.

City did pose their own threat through the physicality of Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland – but it was the Eagles creating the better opportunities in the first period, with quick passing forward and runs in behind stretching their opponents’ defence.

Indeed, 10 minutes in, the first real danger came from an unlikely source. A direct ball forwards from Marc Guéhi was juggled wonderfully by Mateta, who exchanged flicks with Sarr. The ball was half-cleared to the edge of the box, and Clyne sprinted onto it – but, fully on the gallop, was not able to control his strike on his less-favoured left foot.

Seven minutes later, an even clearer opportunity. Pino – involved in many of Palace’s more creative moments in the first-half, with his clever running – was sent clean through by a delightful Adam Wharton chip. Chesting it down, he took the shot from the edge of the box as the ball skipped up – but unfortunately, the flight of the ball saw it crash past both Gianluigi Donnarumma and against the crossbar, before sailing over.

There were further moments of danger, Daichi Kamada, Pino and Sarr all beating a number of players as they made inroads into the City box – but the Eagles admittedly struggled to quite time the final ball to beat the offside trap or, when they did, find a finish to truly test Donnarumma.

Indeed, it wasn’t until the half-hour mark that Henderson himself was tested by City – and an England teammate at that in Phil Foden. The playmaker sent a low free-kick around the outside of the wall from 25 yards, but Henderson was equal to it to produce a strong stop.

Palace were certainly making the better inroads, but succumbed to a moment of quality after 41 minutes – with no prizes for guessing that it was Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland who converted Matheus Nunes’ whipped cross, heading back across goal and past Henderson for the Norwegian’s 16th league goal of the season.

But Palace responded and – seconds after Mateta was beaten to another ball over the top by Donnarumma, the forward tested the Italian’s handling with a sharp turn and shot on his left foot. The goalkeeper, at full stretch, was able to turn it away.

On the balance of play, Palace were undeserving of their half-time deficit – but picked up where they left off following the restart.

Within five minutes of the second-half restarting, they hit the woodwork a second time. Wharton picked the pocket of Nico González 25 yards out and, using Mateta’s supporting run as a decoy, unleashed a dipping shot towards Donnarumma’s near post – the Italian appeared beaten, but the strike crashed against the outside of the base of his post.

City’s quality can never be counted out, however, and they were next to go close after cute feet in midfield from Bernardo Silva allowed Tijjani Reijnders to advance into the box and drill low across goal. Henderson, standing tall until the last possible moment, produced an excellent save with his feet.

Palace continued to create shooting opportunities, Wharton next to try his luck, without truly testing Donnarumma – and Glasner turned to his bench just past the hour mark, introducing in-form forward Nketiah in a bid to sharpen the Eagles’ cutting edge. Moments later, Will Hughes was summoned to replace the injured Kamada.

But the game was taken away from Palace with just over 20 minutes remaining, as City won the ball back in the Eagles’ half and Rayan Cherki advanced towards the box, squaring for Foden. The England international was afforded time to take a touch inside the ‘D’ and, with an arrow of a low strike, double the visitors’ advantage.

The Eagles kept on attacking at pace, knowing that one goal could reignite the game as a contest.

There were two late opportunities in quick succession from Sarr and substitute Will Hughes – but both low shots were blocked en route to Donnarumma’s goal – whilst Nketiah tested the Italian late on with a driven effort.

In the final minutes of regulation time, another Palace attack was cleared and substitute Savinho broke from deep, rounding Henderson and going over the ‘keeper’s outstretched arm – giving Haaland the chance to score from 12 yards, which he took.

The Eagles ultimately fell to a scoreline which did not reflect the balance of play.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Clyne (Uche, 77), Wharton, Kamada (Hughes, 67), Mitchell, Sarr, Pino, Mateta (Nketiah, 63).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Canvot, Sosa, Devenny, Lerma, Esse.

Man City: Donnarumma (GK), Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly (Ait-Nouri, 90+1), Nico, Reijnders (Savinho, 85), Bernardo (C), Foden, Cherki, Haaland (Marmoush, 90+1).

Subs: Trafford (GK), Ake, Khusanov, Bobb, Mukasa, Lewis.

As It Happened