(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Crystal Palace - Man City

So in a three-way title race, it is City's turn to play first, knowing that a victory can ramp up the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool, who face tricky away games at Brighton and Manchester United. The defending champions may start the weekend in third, but a win at Crystal Palace this afternoon, slip-ups for the other title contenders and the Blues could end the weekend at the top of the table. With eight games to go, it's shaping up to be one of the most fascinating and perhaps unpredictable title chases of recent years. Well, Crystal Palace have their own priority, sitting eight points above the drop zone. Eze, Ayu and Mateta remain intact, offering a genuine threat if they can wrestle possession off the Blues. Palace are rampaging forward on the counter with Mateta. Mateta's through on goal here and he's put it against the inside of the post and into the back of the net. You can't believe what you're witnessing. Palace have literally only got out of their half once. Mateta's got beyond John Stones, he's run beyond Orteta, he's placed it out of the reach of Orteta, off the inside of the post and Ortega cannot get to it and it's 1-0 to Crystal Palace. Andy, stunning. It's a City free kick because of a foul by Munoz on Grealish. It's wide on the left-hand side and already City have a chance to draw themselves level. De Bruyne in the right wing area of the pitch hits it in. It's too close to the goalkeeper but Henderson, quite sure why he decided to punch it out for a corner. I mean I've heard of not taking risks but that seemed a very easy catch for the goalkeeper. Anyway, it's De Bruyne who's going to take the resulting corner. City have gone short with it this time. Alvarez is in the right wing position, on it goes to De Bruyne. De Bruyne clips it in and the header was a good near post chance for Guardiola and he put it over the bar and that was a genuine chance that Andy. Yeah it's a great chance, he's just stood though, he's not able to come on to it. Lewis on towards Alvarez, Alvarez round the outside and it's what it could have gone in as an own goal, in the end it's popped up in the air and been punched away by Henderson. Well that was really good play by City, they're going to craft a lot of chances today but Ward was in the right position to get it away. Stones in the centre circle, on it goes to Bob, Bob helps it wider and gets it back, Lewis and on it goes to Alvarez, Alvarez in the penalty area, shot was blocked. Rodri on the edge of that area, plays it out wide to De Bruyne. City are all over Palace, ball come towards Haaland, it's headed away, Rodri on the slide, good save by Henderson. It was going towards the corner of the net, City are absolutely pummelling on the door, at the moment Palace are just about keeping them out. Yeah it's a good defensive header against Haaland and it probably just takes the pace out of it by going into the ground, it's actually a great save. It's only the 35th goal they've scored this season, only three teams in the Premier League have scored fewer so City can grab a couple today, you'd fancy their chances, De Bruyne now in the penalty area, hits the shot in the net, 1-1, I said it was coming, it was only a matter of time and Kevin De Bruyne with a bending right foot shot into the corner of the net, they call it the postage stamp, it absolutely nestled in the corner of the letter and City are back at 1-1. Yeah it's brilliant, the right man at the right time, once he steps inside and it opened up you're just hoping he can find the far corner and it's a magnificent finish, that's just brilliant and the keeper can't get anywhere near it, magnificent from De Bruyne. Diaz hops it into De Bruyne, De Bruyne on the halfway line, lovely ball, Haaland's through on goal, can he make it? 2-1, great save Henderson, really good goalkeeping, he was on top of Haaland before Haaland really got his shot away. They hit it long, Rodri's the furthest back, Meteta gets there in front of him, Meteta in the right wing position but it's straight at Ortega, Palace 1 City 1, Meteta with their only attempt on target, eluding Diaz and then hitting it off the inside of the post, oh and Rodri's lost it and Aiyu's onto it and there are men over here, Aiyu hits it, oh he's hit the frame of the net, it was the outside of the post and bar angle, Rodri lost it, he was very uncharacteristic, Aiyu took it away from him, I must be honest there were two better options than going for the shot there from Aiyu. Aiyu tries to work a 1-2 down the right side and there's a bit of space for Munoz, Munoz in a crossing position, plays it back to Aiyu, Aiyu miscontrolled it, Hughes almost get to it, sitting in a bit of a bother here but Rodri plays it back and Ortega with a really impudent bit of skill, gets himself away from Meteta, that looked real danger but Ortega was magnificent. He just chucked a little cry for it in the sixth shot. He has, unbelievable. Kanji now gets his first touch of the ball, getting towards the edge of the penalty area and he's in the penalty area, wide it goes to Grealish, Grealish might hit a cross in, he does, headed away, not very far, Lewis, oh it's gone in, took a deflection, Rico Lewis scored against Palace to make it 2-0 back at the Etihad Stadium, he makes it 2-1 here, I said the right back was definitely the one of the furthest forward, he's just proven it and City in front already. Lewis now in a shooting position, plays it towards Haaland, De Bruyne on towards Haaland, Haaland's just force wide, Haaland plays it back and it'll be deflected out from an Alvarez shot, it was really nicely played by City and in the end they just about got it away, Palace are now out for another corner. Bossing the game City but they really need a third goal to finally silence Crystal Palace, Grealish wide on the left wing, trying to come infield, plays it in towards De Bruyne, is he offside? Referee says no, Haaland puts it in, City offside is it? Well there's celebrations, Palace think there must be an offside, it is 3-1 at the moment and barring a VAR inclusion, De Bruyne's not sure, he just shrugged his shoulders but at the moment it's 3-1. The ball prodded in by De Bruyne, turned in by Haaland and I think it is going to be 3-1 after all, De Bruyne wasn't sure but I can tell him he is on side and City do lead by three goals to one. Stokes midway inside the Palace half, City 3, Palace 1, Kevin De Bruyne equalised after Mateta gave Palace the lead and Rico Luis early in the second half and now De Bruyne, now Grealish right in the left wing position, still Jack Grealish, can he get across it? Plays it to Rodri, hit by De Bruyne, 4-1! Kevin De Bruyne, two goals, one assists, oh what a player, well it's Rodri's seventh Premier League assist of the season, Kevin De Bruyne has made it 4-1 to the Blues, it's his second of the game and he's now moved on to 100 City goals, Kevin De Bruyne, 100 City goals and the City fans who've made the lengthy trip for a 12-30 kickoff, they have thoroughly enjoyed it and I have to say he's moved now, would you believe, to 13th in the City all-time scoring list, Kevin De Bruyne with that hundredth goal and here the City fans I'm sure over to the right-hand side, they've thoroughly enjoyed their early start from Manchester, now Palace looking for a consolation, ball comes in and they've got a consolation, Oddson-Edward has just helped it in, it was a schlock cross from the left wing and Edward helps it over the line, seven minutes of added time are now up, Nunes goes forward, Nunes kicks it in towards Grealish, Grealish into the penalty area, Jack Grealish, chance! Put it wide, great opportunity for Grealish to score but he put it wide of the far post and it stays at 4-2, well City have done what they needed to, playing first this weekend with Brighton against Arsenal later and Manchester United versus Liverpool tomorrow, the Blues just had to make their point that they were very much in this three-way title race, De Bruyne made it 4-1 with a wonderful goal which was his 100th as a City player and though Palace pull one back through Edward later on, there was never any doubt about the destiny of the points and the Blues join Liverpool at the top, just behind them on goal difference, two points ahead of Arsenal, the final score, Palace 2 City 4.