Manchester City kept their title hopes alive by picking up an impressive 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
The defending champions bounced back well after a disastrous midweek defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League as Raheem Sterling’s brace, and Gabriel Jesus’ late goal helped them seal all three points against a dejected Palace side.
Ederson (7/10): Should have done a tad better in keeping out the free-kick but his long balls were a delight as usual. Man City fans will be happy to see him fit after picking up a knock in midweek.
Kyle Walker (8.5/10): Offered very little space to Wilfried Zaha on the far side, which played a key role in maintaining Man City’s solidity at the back. Walker was also quite effective in his driving runs in the final third as he provided a lot of support going forward.
Vincent Kompany (8/10): Did well to deal with the threat of compatriot Christian Benteke, who struggled to physically outmatch the veteran defender.
Aymeric Laporte (8.5/10): As always, Laporte played with a key role in his side’s build-up from the back, mustering some delightful laser passes in between the lines. He offered additional defensive support to Kompany, which was essential in keeping out Benteke and Co. this afternoon.
Benjamin Mendy (8/10): Made his return to the starting lineup with a blistering performance on the left flank. Mendy’s ability to burst forward with pace caused a lot of problem for Palace’s wide players while the Frenchman was quite solid in his defensive duties, too.
Kevin de Bruyne (9.5/10): It’s clear that Belgian international is slowly returning to his old self, which was reflected in his outstanding performance this afternoon. Indeed, de Bruyne played a key role in midfield, where he not only provided creativity in the final third but also helped out his teammates during defensive stances.
He produced an excellent pass to find Raheem Sterling for the opener, in what was his first assist of the campaign.
Ilkay Gundogan (8.5/10): Anchored the midfield alongside the immense de Bruyne. Gundogan was particularly useful when acting as the ball-carrier while the German international also provided a host of exquisite through passes in behind the Palace defence.
Raheem Sterling (9/10): Scored the all-important opener in the first half before finding his second just after the hour-mark, thus continuing his excellent run of form. He has now scored five goals in his last four league matches and will surely be a key component in the Man City attack as they aim to retain their title this season.
David Silva (7.5/10): It was perhaps not the best of matches for David Silva, who did, however, facilitated the final third with delicate touches and intricate passes. But, he was largely overshadowed by the midfield duo of Gundogan and de Bruyne.
Leroy Sane (8.5/10): It was always going to be a tough test for Sane against Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but the German international was immense on the far side this afternoon, completing multiple take-ons and delivering a fine ball to Sterling for the second half.
Sergio Aguero (7/10): Put in an excellent shift in the number nine role, but the Argentine looked out of pace and at times, tired. However, he offered a lot of clever movements in and around the penalty area, which was enough to occupy a couple of Palace defenders.
SUBSTITUTES
Bernardo Silva (7.5/10): Replaced David Silva in the 65th minute and helped Manchester City assert more control over their opponents in midfield.
Gabriel Jesus (NA): Sealed the game in the final minute with a well-taken goal after initially coming on for Aguero during the final phase of the game.
John Stones (NA): An 87th-minute replacement for Sane as Pep Guardiola opted for more defensive bodies.
