Manchester City boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League by recovering from a shaky start and defeating Crystal Palace 5-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
Kevin De Bruyne was instrumental in the comeback as Manchester City rallied after falling behind 2-0. The Citizens’ captain, who confirmed last week that he will leave the club at the end of the season, scored one goal and provided an assist to help secure the victory.
Crystal Palace took control early in the match with goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards midway through the first half. However, De Bruyne’s stunning 25-yard free-kick gave City a glimmer of hope.
Omar Marmoush then leveled the score just before halftime, drilling home a shot to make it 2-2. In the second half, Pep Guardiola’s team delivered what could be considered their best performance of the season.
Mateo Kovacic put City ahead 3-2 with a shot from the edge of the box. Shortly after, James McAtee raced onto a searching pass from Ederson and rounded goalkeeper Dean Henderson to score City’s fourth goal.
Youngster Nico O’Reilly capped off the scoring with a volley that deflected in late in the game, adding further polish to City’s win. This loss marked Crystal Palace’s first defeat in 11 away Premier League matches.
With Newcastle United and Chelsea not playing until Sunday, Manchester City took the opportunity to move above them into fourth place, while Oliver Glasner’s side remained in 11th.
