CRYSTAL PALACE 1, MANCHESTER CITY 3
Raheem Sterling scored twice as Manchester City kept up the pace at the top of the Premier League with victory at Crystal Palace.
Embed from Getty ImagesLuka Milivojevic reduced the deficit with a free kick but Gabriel Jesus finished off their hosts with a late strike as Kevin De Bruyne continued his return to form with two more assists.
City boss Pep Guardiola made four changes to the Manchester City side that lost at Spurs in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Vincent Kompany, Benjamin Mendy, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane came into the side.
Nicolas Otamendi, Fabian Delph, Fernandinho, and Riyad Mahrez made way.
Raheem Sterling scooped a David Silva cutback wide of the post from 7 yards out with the goal gaping in front of him,
Thankfully, the England winger had little time to dwell on the miss as he opened the scoring minutes later in the 15th minute.
De Bruyne sent a sumptuous through ball to the feet of Sterling from his own half.
Sterling outpaced Scott Dann and fired City into the lead from 7 yards out and wider on the right.
Sergio Aguero seemed out of sorts, firing high in the first half while their hosts pressed for an equaliser.
Sane jinked into the area past Andros Townsend and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and forced a save from Vicente Guaita and both Sane and De Bruyne could have scored before the break after Ilkay Gundogan’s forward pass caused panic in the Crystal Palace area.
Guaita also produced a fine save when a De Bruyne’s cross was took a wicked deflection off one of his own defenders.
City doubled their lead in the 63rd minute when Sane’s cross into the area found Sterling – 7 yards out – and he finished off a quick City move with a left footed first time shot around Patrick van Aanholt.
It was the 21st goal of another highly successful season for Sterling.
Palace still pushed for a goal and won a free kick when James McArthur was fouled on the edge of the City box by Gundogan.
Luka Milivojevic hit a free kick from 19 yards through a large gap in the City wall between De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to give the Eagles hope with 9 minutes to go.
But City calmed their nerves in the 90th minute when Gabriel Jesus was given the ball by De Bruyne after Bernardo Silva had won the ball and counter attacked.
The Brazilian may have been slightly offside but didn’t hesitate to finish the job and pile the pressure back on Liverpool by helping his side return to the top of the league – no matter how briefly.