Palace finish City’s season
SELHURST PARK has been the graveyard of many a dream. Last night it was Manuel Pellegrini’s turn to feel the cold hand of doom on his shoulder.
The Chilean’s City team were hassled, harried and bumped out of any faint hope of catching Chelsea in the chase for the title on a dismal night in south- east London.
They now face a mighty battle to even fi nish runners up – and anything less will surely spell the end for Pellegrini.
Palace, who ended Liverpool’s title hopes on a similarly frenzied night at Selhurst last year, simply never stopped running, as goals from Glenn Murray and Jason Puncheon left City on the fl oor.
Yaya Toure pulled one back, but it was too little, too late, and City’s Qatari masters will not be happy.
There were no grey areas for City last night. They had to win – and win well. They started the night nine points behind leaders Chelsea, having taken 15 points from a possible 30.
There was no room for manoeuvre for Pellegrini, in his 101st game in charge of the club, with the axe reputedly hanging over him.
Selhurst Park was where City as good as won the prize last season. But Palace had won three out of their past four games going into last night’s clash, and had taken 19 points from a possible 30 since Alan Pardew took over as manager.
The Palace boss had an infamous touchline spat with Pellegrini when he was Newcastle boss, but has now revealed he is getting lessons in controlling his behaviour from sports psychologist Jeremy Snape.
It was his side that actually started better and should have been ahead after only two minutes when Wilfried Zaha blazed wide from Martin Kelly’s cross from six yards out.
But then came a long kick from goalkeeper Joe Hart, Sergio Aguero went round Julian Speroni and squared his pass to David Silva, but the Argentine stopper got back superbly to block his shot. Then Yaya Toure drove wide as City began to take control, and Aguero clipped the foot of the post with a low drive.
Palace were hanging on, as Silva, who saw another shot stopped by Speroni, weaved his magic and Aguero popped up everywhere. But Pardew’s side were snapping into their tackles.
Aguero drove over as City probed. But then, incredibly, Palace were ahead, from only their second attack. Joel Ward played the ball in, Joe Ledley fl icked on and Scott Dann, looking suspiciously offside, saw his shot stopped by Hart.
But the ball ran to Glenn Murray, who stabbed home for his fi fth goal in fi ve starts. City were fuming and still protesting as they trooped off at half- time – and they looked to have a case. But how typical it was of how their luck had been going.
City skipper Vincent Kompany in particular could
fi nd himself in trouble with the FA for appearing to manhandle referee Michael Oliver.
Three minutes after halftime his misery multiplied. Murray, a nuisance to City all night, went down on the edge of the area under Fernandinho’s challenge.
Puncheon stepped up and curled a glorious free- kick up and over City’s ragged wall, and Hart was left grasping as the ball dropped into the corner of his net.
City were barely able to believe it. Confi dence seemed to drain from Pellegrini’s team, as Toure drove a free- kick over and Silva shot limply wide.
James McArthur never stopped working in midfi eld for Palace and Puncheon dazzled with his skill. Hart had to block on his line from Damien Delaney as Pardew’s men produced another dangerous set- piece. City had what looked like a legitimate claim for a penalty for handball when Murray handled. But it was simply not to be. Then the indefatigable McArthur cleared Fernandinho’s effort off the line. But then Dann failed to clear properly, and Toure fi red his shot into the far corner. Salvation, maybe, was on.
Samir Nasri saw his shot defl ected wide as City threw everything at it. But destiny was not on their side.