Manchester City 4 Crystal Palace 1: Thoughts and impressions from City’s win at Selhurst Park

Manchester City 4 Crystal Palace 1: Thoughts and impressions from City’s win at Selhurst Park Manchester City 4 (Erling Haaland 17′, 85′, Rayan Cherki 53′, 59′) Crystal Palace 1 (Gianluigi Donnarumma OG’ 56′) Manchester City have beaten Crystal Palace emphatically 4-1 tonight at Selhurst Park. Two goals each for Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki were enough for City to pick up all three points and make it two wins from two games to begin the new Premier League season. Some of the play in possession and in the final third that Enzo Maresca’s side produced was spectacular. Considering that this City squad isn’t yet complete, tonight’s win and the style in which it came is a great sign for what lies ahead. Enzo Maresca made one change to the starting lineup which picked up all three points against Bournemouth last weekend. Rico Lewis dropped to the bench with Rayan Cherki coming into the starting lineup. Maresca had selected what looked to be an attacking lineup and Ayyoub Bouaddi was on the bench for tonight’s match after arriving at City from Lille on Wednesday. First half. When the game kicked off, it was clear to see that Marc Guehi was playing in defence. This meant that City’s back four was Khusanov at right-back, Ruben Dias and Guehi at centre-back and Josko Gvardiol at left-back. Manchester City’s midfield was Elliot Anderson and Nico in deeper roles with Rayan Cherki seemingly starting as the number ten. Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced to make a save in the 2nd minute of the match. Adam Wharton played a superb first-time ball from midfield behind the City defence to get Eddie Nketiah in behind. Nketiah worked himself into a shooting position on the left-hand side of City’s six-yard box. The Crystal Palace got his shot in goal that Donnarumma tipped behind for a corner at his near post. Elliot Anderson would have Manchester City’s first shot of the game in the 5th minute. City worked a corner short from the left and Cherki teed up Anderson for a shot from the edge of the area. Anderson’s shot looked destined for the bottom corner. However, Crystal Palace keeper Dean Henderson made a strong save diving full stretch down to his left. A goal mouth scramble ensued but the Palace defence eventually cleared the ball away. As the game ticked over the ten-minute mark, it was an open affair. What was clear was that Crystal Palace were playing with real pace and intent in possession. This approach was paying dividends as they were breaking through Manchester City’s midfield. That was an area of concern for Enzo Maresca’s side to begin the match. Erling Haaland heads Manchester City in the lead!!!! After the lively opening to the game, Enzo Maresca’s side began to slowly drop Crystal Palace. Manchester City’s possession play paid off and they took the lead in the 17th minute. City worked the ball from the right across to the left wing to Antoine Semenyo. Semenyo floated in a superb cross which Haaland met with his head. Haaland’s header was hit with perfection as it looped back across goal and over Dean Henderson to give Manchester City the lead. It was a beautiful team goal and Haaland’s header capped it off perfectly. Phil Foden should have doubled Manchester City’s lead in the 21st minute. Manchester City played their way through the Palace defence on the edge of the Palace area. Elliot Anderson played a beat one-two with Erling Haaland and Anderson picked out Foden in acres of space inside the penalty area with Crystal Palace torn through. Foden blazed his shot over the bar from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy. It was a beautiful team move from Enzo Maresca’s side and they should have doubled their lead. Manchester City carved through the Crystal Palace again in the 28th minute. City played themselves through midfield and Nico O’Reilly was set free on the right wing by Rayan Cherki. The England international surged down the pitch into the Palace area before checking and playing the ball back to Cherki. The French international surged to the byline and played a superb ball which picked out Phil Foden six yards out from goal. However, Foden couldn’t get the proper contact on his header and the Palace defence cleared the ball away as the ball limped towards the goal line. Crystal Palace awaken and see two great chances amount to nothing. Jørgen Strand Larson would have a great chance over the bar in the 32nd minute. Daichi Kamada played in a cross from the right which picked out Strand Larson unmarked in the City area. Larson’s header looped wide of the target with Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded. However, Larson did look to be offside in the build up. Two minutes later, Tyrick Mitchell would head wide from eight yards out after being picked out by a superb cross from the right by Adam Wharton. Rayan Cherki would have the final shot of the first half. The French international combined with Antoine Semenyo on the left and the Ghana international teed up Cherki for a shot on the edge of the box. Cherki struck a low drive on goal with his right foot but Dean Henderson had read the situation and he got down low to his right to make a simple save. That would be the final moment of the first half which had flown by. First half observations. Manchester City would take a 1-0 lead into the interval. After a tough opening 10 minutes, some of Manchester City’s possession play was superb. They deservedly took the lead and should’ve perhaps taken a bigger lead into halftime. However, Crystal Palace did have their moments and Adam Wharton in particular was a constant threat whenever he got on the ball. City’s defence at times was leaving too much space in dangerous areas but overall, City had played well and deserved their lead. In possession, Manchester City were superb. Elliot Anderson was linking up City’s play in midfield brilliantly well. Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, and Phil Foden all had their moments in the first half. If City could provide Erling Haaland with more opportunities you did sense that he had more goals in him. However, City had to wary of the threat that Pierre Sage’s side posed going forward as there were enough warnings throughout the first half to suggest that Palace had a goal in them. Second half. After a sloppy start to the second half from both teams, Crystal Palace would have the first real glimpse of goal in the second half. Tyrick Mitchell worked himself into a good position to cross from the left and he picked out Eddie Nketiah in a good position in the City area, 8 yards from goal. However, Nketiah dragged his left-footed shot well wide of the target. Rayan Cherki doubles Manchester City’s lead with a piece of magic. Manchester City would take a 2-0 lead in the 53rd minute courtesy of a piece of magic from Rayan Cherki. Elliot Anderson intercepted a long ball out of defence from Crystal Palace in midfield. Nico O’Reilly won his duel in midfield which allowed Phil Foden to run at a stretched Crystal Palace defence. Foden played the ball to Cherki who dribbled his way into the Palace area. Cherki had the Palace defenders under a spell as he made a mesmerising run and then beat Dean Henderson with a cheeky left-footed finish to give Enzo Maresca’s side a 2-0 lead. Rayan Cherki’s brilliance was on full display in that magical moment. Palace find a way back into the match after getting a bit of fortune. However, Crystal Palace pulled a goal back two minutes later. Elliot Anderson was adjudged to have fouled Yeremy Pino 30 yards out from goal. Pino fired in a spectacular free kick which hit the crossbar and came out, but unfortunately it hit Gianluigi Donnarumma on the back and went in. It was a superb free kick, but perhaps the free kick was a bit soft in the buildup. Rayan Cherki restores Manchester City’s two-goal lead with another piece of brilliance. Manchester City took a 3-1 lead four minutes after Crystal Palace got themselves back into the game. Rayan Cherki received the ball 30 yards out from goal and worked himself into a position to shoot. The French magician unleashed a powerful shot on goal from just outside the box, which took a slight deflection off of Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards to make it 3-1 to City. Enzo Maresca’s side had quickly dampened the mood at Selhurst Park and it was Rayan Cherki who did it once again. As the game ticked over the 70-minute mark, Manchester City were in control of proceedings. However, Palace hadn’t given up the fight and were still trying to find a route back into the game. Enzo Maresca’s side were fizzing the ball around with real pace and intensity and some of their possession play was sumptuous. Enzo Maresca made his first substitution in the 75th minute. Mateo Kovacic replaced Josko Gvardiol as Maresca clearly wanted more cover in midfield in the closing stages of the game. Rayan Cherki would come off in the 81st minute after making a match-defining impact. Cherki’s performance was a joy to behold as he was replaced by Ryan McAidoo. Ayyoub Bouaddi would make his Manchester City debut as he replaced Elliot Anderson, who had put in a marvellous display in midfield. Erling Haaland seals Manchester City’s win in emphatic fashion. Manchester City would make it 4-1 in the 85th minute as Erling Haaland bagged a second goal of the night. Once again, City won possession in midfield and Phil Foden was set free to drive at the backpeddling Crystal Palace defence. Foden worked his way into the penalty area and played a ball to Haaland on his left. Haaland beat Dean Henderson at his near post with an emphatic finish from close range to seal all three points for Enzo Maresca’s side. Ryan McAidoo almost scored on his Premier League debut in the 86th minute when he curled a shot wide from just outside the penalty area minutes after coming on. Outside of that, City cruised to the final whistle and they thoroughly deserved their 4-1 win at Selhurst Park tonight. Impressions from Manchester City’s comprehensive win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. You can’t help but be impressed with Manchester City’s overall performance tonight. They made it two wins from two and they went to a tough ground to play and picked up an impressive victory. In possession, City were far too much for Crystal Palace to handle. Some of the link up play between all three phases of City’s lineup was sublime. You can see the real intent from Enzo Maresca’s side to create chances and tonight’s lineup did suit the style that Maresca wants to implement. Rayan Cherki will deservedly get the headlines but it was great to Phil Foden grab two assists and begin to show why he’s so highly regarded and it looks like his beginning to get back to his best. The new-look Erling Haaland is still the same old Haaland and Elliot Anderson was superb in midfield. At the back, Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi marshalled the defence well and Gianluigi Donnarumma showed positive signs in possession and with his command of his area. It must be said that at times Crystal Palace did cut through City’s midfield which was far too open. If Elliot Anderson was bypassed, City’s defence was left exposed. Crystal Palace did have joy in this regard, however, this Manchester City side remains a work in progress. All told, if you’d offered anyone at City two wins from their opening two games with the squad rebuild not quite finished they’d have taken it. Each win showed different characteristics of Enzo Maresca’s side which has been great to see. Manchester City have started the season strongly and tonight’s win over Crystal Palace was exactly the type of performance that Enzo Maresca would have been hoping for.