Manchester City keep pressure on Arsenal with 3-0 win at Palace
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Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland (right) celebrating with his teammates after scoring the opening goal.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – Manchester City closed the gap on English Premier League leaders Arsenal with a “full team performance” as Erling Haaland’s double inspired a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace on Dec 14.
Pep Guardiola’s second-placed side moved within two points of Arsenal after a hard-fought success at Selhurst Park.
Norway striker Haaland opened the scoring late in the first half and England forward Phil Foden netted after the break.
Haaland bagged his 23rd goal in all competitions this season to complete City’s fifth successive win in all competitions.
Foden told Sky Sports: “We know what they are about. They make it tricky, set up well and have quality players on the break. The first half, we were just trying to figure them out. Second half, we started to hurt them more and in the end, we killed the game off.
“The most important thing is patience. I think we maybe tried to attack too quickly. In the second half, we did a lot better. That was the key for getting the result today. We had more control and more passes, that is the City way. It is a full team performance.”
Arsenal’s dramatic late win over bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers on Dec 13 had put pressure on City to respond and Guardiola’s men were up to the task, overcoming a spluttering display in large part because of the quality of their finishing.
After coming from behind to win 2-1 at Real Madrid in their glamour Champions League clash in midweek, a trip to freezing south London to face their FA Cup tormentors was a testing trip for far different reasons.
City were facing Palace for the first time since their shock FA Cup final defeat against the Eagles at Wembley in May. But City avenged that loss to keep the title race bubbling ahead of the hectic Christmas period.
Haaland barely had a kick before he put City ahead in typically predatory fashion in the 41st minute. Matheus Nunes curled a pin-point cross towards the far post and Haaland peeled away from Chris Richards to thump a superb header past Dean Henderson from six metres.
Without Belgian winger Jeremy Doku due to a leg injury, City were nowhere near the best and Guardiola’s frustration boiled over as he argued with Palace boss Oliver Glasner on the touchline.
But Foden eased Guardiola’s angst with his sixth league goal in his last four games in the 69th minute after good work by Rayan Cherki.
Haaland wrapped up City’s gritty win in the 89th minute, calmly sending Henderson the wrong way from the penalty spot after the Palace goalkeeper had fouled Savinho.
Guardiola told Sky Sports: “Erling is a forward to score the goals but in the second half he keeps the ball. He was able to contain situations. He helped us be together. In the second half, he was outstanding.”
In other matches on Dec 14, Sunderland edged out Newcastle United 1-0 thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Nick Woltemade in the Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light.
In London, Aston Villa twice came from behind to win 3-2 at West Ham United to remain in the thick of title race. West Ham twice took the lead via Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen, but were undone by a Morgan Rogers brace and a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal.
Meanwhile, the pressure is ramping up on Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank after a 3-0 away defeat by Nottingham Forest. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored twice and Ibrahim Sangare also found the net. AFP, REUTERS
