Manchester City maintained the pressure on leaders Arsenal as the Premier League champions reduced the gap at the top to two points with a hard-fought victory over struggling Crystal Palace.
Pep Guardiola’s side had to remain patient at Selhurst Park, but were eventually able to take their opportunity to edge closer to the Gunners, who visit London rivals Fulham on Sunday (14:00 GMT).
Erling Haaland settled the match from the penalty spot for his 28th goal of the campaign, stroking his 78th-minute spot-kick into the bottom corner after Michael Olise’s late challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.
The visitors had been unable to capitalise on a purposeful start, which saw Rodri’s first-time effort force Vicente Guaita into action and Jack Grealish pull a low shot wide after he darted into the penalty area.
Haaland, who scored his first Premier League hat-trick in the reverse fixture in August, went closest in the first half, but the league’s top scorer remarkably failed to hit the target following Nathan Ake’s pass into the six-yard box.
A previously shot-shy Palace pushed for a late equaliser against a retreating City, but it was to no avail as the hosts went on a record third successive league game without managing a shot on target.
The defeat extends Palace’s concerning Premier League winless run to 10 matches – the longest in the division – and leaves Patrick Vieira’s side just four points above the relegation places.
More to follow.
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Crystal Palace
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Squad number13Player nameGuaita
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Squad number17Player nameClyne
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Squad number16Player nameAndersen
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Squad number6Player nameGuéhi
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Squad number3Player nameMitchell
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Squad number8Player nameSambi Lokonga
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Squad number4Player nameMilivojevic
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Squad number7Player nameOlise
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Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
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Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
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Squad number11Player nameZaha
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Squad number2Player nameWard
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Squad number10Player nameEze
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Squad number22Player nameÉdouard
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Squad number29Player nameAhamada
Manchester City
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Squad number2Player nameWalker -
Squad number17Player nameDe Bruyne -
Squad number19Player nameÁlvarez
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Guaita
- 17ClyneSubstituted forWardat 71′minutes
- 16AndersenBooked at 90mins
- 6Guéhi
- 3Mitchell
- 8Sambi Lokonga
- 4MilivojevicBooked at 30minsSubstituted forAhamadaat 61′minutes
- 7Olise
- 9J AyewSubstituted forÉdouardat 80′minutes
- 15SchluppSubstituted forEzeat 80′minutes
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 2Ward
- 5Tomkins
- 10Eze
- 14Mateta
- 22Édouard
- 26Richards
- 29Ahamada
- 41Whitworth
- 44Riedewald
Man City
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Ederson
- 5StonesSubstituted forWalkerat 89′minutes
- 25Akanji
- 3Rúben DiasBooked at 59mins
- 6AkéBooked at 65mins
- 16Rodri
- 8Gündogan
- 47FodenSubstituted forÁlvarezat 58′minutes
- 20Bernardo SilvaSubstituted forDe Bruyneat 79′minutes
- 10Grealish
- 9Haaland
Substitutes
- 2Walker
- 4Phillips
- 14Laporte
- 17De Bruyne
- 18Ortega
- 19Álvarez
- 26Mahrez
- 80Palmer
- 82Lewis
Live Text
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Match ends, Crystal Palace 0, Manchester City 1.
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Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 0, Manchester City 1.
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Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace).
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Jack Grealish (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Naouirou Ahamada (Crystal Palace).
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Substitution, Manchester City. Kyle Walker replaces John Stones.
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Foul by Nathan Aké (Manchester City).
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Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Wilfried Zaha tries a through ball, but Odsonne Édouard is caught offside.
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Foul by Julián Álvarez (Manchester City).
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Albert Sambi Lokonga (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Jack Grealish.
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Attempt blocked. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Naouirou Ahamada.
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Attempt blocked. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Michael Olise with a cross.
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Foul by Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City).
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Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Jack Grealish with a cross.
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Foul by John Stones (Manchester City).
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