LONDON: Manchester City kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 3-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday, thanks to a double from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden's fine finish.
Palace created the better chances in the first half with Yeremy Pino fluffing the best of the lot, hitting the bar with the goal begging after he was played in by Adam Wharton.
City had offered little, except for Foden testing goalkeeper Dean Henderson from a free-kick, before Haaland met Matheus Nunes' inviting cross with an unstoppable header in the 41st minute from his first sight of goal.
Palace pressed for an equaliser and Wharton went close within three minutes of the restart, beating keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low effort that thudded off the post.
But Foden settled the contest with 20 minutes left, firing past Henderson from the edge of the box for his sixth goal in his last five games.
Haaland then confirmed the inevitable when he converted an 89th-minute penalty after Henderson brought down Savinho, ignoring Palace fans' taunts about the spot kick he handed to Omar Marmoush in May's FA Cup final.
City's win, their fourth consecutive league victory, keeps them second on 34 points from 16 games, two behind Arsenal. Palace are fifth with 26 points.
CITY AVENGE FA CUP FINAL DEFEAT
Sunday's game was the first between Palace and City since
the FA Cup final
, when the Manchester side failed to convert their chances and the Eagles' early goal was enough for a famous triumph.
The roles were reversed on Sunday as Palace posed the greater threat before the break but failed to make their superiority pay, while Haaland needed only one opportunity.
Yeremy Pino skimmed the top of the crossbar with only Donnarumma to beat and Ismaila Sarr nearly found Jean-Philippe Mateta as the hosts made the early running.
But City offered a glimpse of their class when Foden curled a free-kick around the wall which Henderson saved at full stretch, prompting chants of "England's number one" as national team boss Thomas Tuchel watched on.
Haaland had been kept quiet until he broke the deadlock with a clinical header to send City into halftime ahead largely thanks to Palace's profligacy.
As the home side chased a leveller they left gaps at the back and Foden capitalised to double the lead in the 69th minute with a low finish.
Haaland made it 3-0 twenty minutes later, sending Henderson the wrong way from the spot for his 17th league goal in 16 games, in front of the home fans who had gloatingly asked: "Where were you at Wembley?" — Reuters
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
