Five Things Learned: Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City (Premier League)

A hard fought three points for Manchester City as Pep Guardiol’s title-chasing squad inflicted yet another defeat on Crystal Palace in 2023.

Coming to a ground like Selhurst Park is certainly no easy feat for any side, with the hosts having a reputation for their fierce atmosphere especially when bigger teams travel, and Saturday evening was no exception to the rule.

In typical Manchester City fashion this season, the Blues dominated proceedings, forcing goalkeeper Vicente Guaita into action early on, while controlling the ball and dictating the tempo of the match.

Despite not finding a breakthrough, City were persistent in their approach, knocking on the Crystal Palace door throughout the first half. They could not find the elusive goal before half-time however, as the two sides headed into the break goalless.

The pattern of play remained much of the same in the second half, with Manchester City pushing and probing while Palace remained resolute, keeping the visitors at bay despite not creating much for themselves.

That was until some quick thinking from City caught Palace sleeping, as a quick corner resulted in Michael Olise rashly making a challenge on Ilkay Gundogan, giving the visitors a priceless opportunity from the penalty spot just 12 minutes before the end.

Erling Haaland stepped up and cooly converted, sending Vicente Guaita the wrong way, and giving Manchester City a lead which they would see out, earning them a massive three points on the road.

Here are five things we learned from Manchester City’s away win against Crystal Palace!

A Champions performance

Travelling to Crystal Palace is no easy feat, as home will always be right behind their side, particularly against the top sides in the division. Partnering this with the treacherous conditions on display on Saturday night and you are bound to be in for a difficult contest.

Manchester City displayed their class though, keeping fans relatively quiet and dictating the tempo of the game throughout. These fixtures are ones where you don’t necessarily need to play your best, as three points is ultimately goal, and that’s exactly what City secured.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance from the reigning Premier League champions by any means, but they stuck to their task when the going got tough and frustration was kicking in, found the goal and left London with a vital three points.

Riyad Mahrez: Out of favour?

Since returning to the starting line-up, Phil Foden has impressed, netting in three consecutive games prior to Saturday evening. It was a somewhat underwhelming 58 minutes however from Foden, who was replaced just before the turn of the hour.

However, it was Julian Alvarez who took his spot and not Riyad Mahrez, who found himself on the bench all afternoon for the second game in a row. The Algerian forward was probably Manchester City’s most in-form player since the return to action after the World Cup.

Rotation is a normal part of Pep Guardiola’s matchday routine, as the manager certainly isn’t one who is afraid to make changes when something isn’t working. With that being said, there is always room for any player to improve, and Riyad Mahrez has to demonstrate his capabilities if he wants to regain his place back in the starting XI.

Immense from Rodrigo

Saying Rodri played well isn’t exactly something out of the ordinary, but the 26 year-old was immense in the Crystal Palace test.

Whether it was carrying the ball forward and creating chances himself, or snuffing out any counter-attacks, the Spaniard held the midfield down in typical Rodri fashion for Manchester City.

Rodrigo is someone who often goes under the radar with his performances, but this weekend wasn’t one of those occasions, as Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the midfielder. The City manager comically described Rodri as “one of the best” holding midfielders, but “not as good as his manager.”

Rodri vs Crystal Palace:

112 Touches
81 Accurate Passes
88% Pass Accuracy
8 Ground Duels Won
6 Accurate Long Balls
4 Successful Dribbles
3 Tackles
3 Aerial Duels Won
2 Shots Blocked
1 Key Pass
1 Interception
1 Shot On Target
1 Accurate Cross pic.twitter.com/BNSfxRxgtU

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) March 11, 2023

Erling Haaland: Clinical when needed

In big games, you need your big players, and it was Erling Haaland who stepped up to the mark for Manchester City – not for the first time this season.

The Norwegian had a couple of chances prior to his penalty, but was ultimately feeding on scraps throughout. It would’ve been easy for Erling Haaland to let his frustrations grow and influence the mentality for his penalty, but it wasn’t the case as he cooly converted.

That goal takes Haaland to a staggering 28 Premier League goals for the campaign, as he closes in on the record for most goals in a single season, currently held by Mohammed Salah for Liverpool.

The record will no doubt motivate Erling Haaland, who will surely play a huge part for Manchester City in the running for the title.

The start of a huge week for Manchester City

Saturday evening was the first of three huge games for Manchester City this week, with RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in the Champions League, before a returning Vincent Kompany and Burnley visit in the FA Cup next weekend.

Competing in three competitions means there is no room for error, as City look to stay on the tail of high-flying Arsenal, cement their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and book their tickets to Wembley through advancing to the FA Cup semi-finals.

The win this weekend should give the players the momentum to carry through to the next two fixtures, under no illusions that the coming games will be easy. Pep Guardiola and his team will surely be desperate to stay in the two knock-out competitions and continue to dream for the rest of the season.