Eagles undone by superior efficiency of Man City, as visitors gain some revenge for FA Cup final

Selhurst setting : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Crystal Palace (0) 0

Manchester City (1) 3 Haaland 41, 89pen, Foden 69

The Eagles may have the eternal happy souvenir of that famous May day at Wembley against City, but haven't had too many fond memories to look back on against them at Selhurst in recent times. And so it continues.

They could have leapt up to fourth in the table with a win over Pep Guardiola's men but, as against Man United in the last match, did not have quite enough zip to get under the visitors' skin and two clinical finishes, plus a penalty, settled the outcome.

Two goals from Erling Haaland and one from Phil Foden have moved City back to within two points of leaders Arsenal and their no-frills efficiency is looking ominous.

City are now unbeaten in 12 visits here - with the Eagles last winning the fixture in SE London more than 10 years ago. Maybe this result was no real surprise.

Palace started well enough and should have been in front after 16 minutes when a deliciously flighted ball from Adam Wharton freed up Yeremy Pino in front of goal with only Gianluigi Donnarumma to beat. His shot bounced off the top of the bar.

More encouragement came from a Pino burst into the box and when a well-judged through ball from Daichi Kamada gave Ismaila Sarr room down the right to cross into the danger zone just out of reach of Jean-Philippe Mateta.

But City were patient. Trusting in those habits of ball possession and calm probing. They were lucky to win a free-kick outside the Palace area but Foden almost profited - bending it around the wall and making Dean Henderson hurry to get down to his near post in time to keep it out.

They took the lead just before the interval with a goal of classic simplicity and predictability - Matheus Nunes swinging a ball from the right flank towards Haaland and his header gave Henderson no chance.

The Eagles were unlucky to be trailing and knew they needed to be sharper up front. Wharton cracked a shot against the outside of a post after good harrying forced a turnover of possession just outside City's penalty area. Pino's persistence gave Wharton a half-chance, which he blazed over.

At the other end, Henderson kept Palace in it when his leg blocked a Tijjani Reinders shot, but with the game entering its final quarter, City put the game out of each with a smart finish from Foden after Rayan Cherki had charged past two defenders to set up the England player.

Oli Glasner's side did their best to find a way back, with subs Will Hughes and Eddie Nketiah having efforts saved or charged down, but City were comfortable now with their two-goal advantage.

And when newly-arrived sub Savinho burst down the middle from inside his own half, only a despairing trip from Henderson denied the newcomer a crowning goal. That honour went to Haaland instead, who netted from the resulting penalty.

There was irony in that as he famously passed up the chance to take the spot-kick when the sides met in the FA Cup final - and Omar Marmoush crucially missed his kick that day. "Where were you at Wembley?" taunted Palace fans.

The Eagles have little time to lick their wounds. They need a win against the Finns KuPS in midweek to avoid an extra fixture in the Europa Conference League and then travel to Leeds ahead of the pre-Christmas Carabao quarter-final match at Arsenal.

Eagles: (3-4-2-1) Henderson - Richards, Lacroix, Guehi - Clyne (Uche 77), Wharton, Kamada (Hughes 67), Mitchell - Sarr, Pino - Mateta (Nketiah 63)

City: (4-3-2-1) Donnarumma - Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly (Ait-Nouri 90) - Bernardo Silva (Lewis 90), Gonzalez, Reijnders (Savinho 85) - Cherki, Foden - Haaland (Marmoush 90)

Attendance: 25,166