HODGSON IS REAL SPECIAL ONE NOW

ROY HODGSON stood tall where Jose Mourinho flopped by attacking Pep Guardiola’s side and wrecking City’s long winning streak.

Manchester United tried to contain the runaway Premier League leaders for 90 minutes and ended up losing by a single goal.

But despite City enjoying 74 per cent of possession at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace came out to play with the pace of Wilf Zaha a constant threat to the Blues.

Hodgson said: “I’m very pleased and very proud of the performance.

“It was excellent in terms of tactical FROM BACK PAGE which saw him leave the field in tears and hobble out of Selhurst Park on crutches.

City failed with a £60million bid for Sanchez in the summer after Arsenal could not find a replacement.

But with the Chilean out of contract in six months and looking increasingly unhappy at discipline, commitment, focus, determination, concentration.

”You only need to fall asleep for a brief moment against a team of that quality and they punish you with the level of player they have.

“I thought our best chance would be to score some goals. But luckily we kept them at bay and could even have won with that penalty.”

BT pundit Graham Poll claimed Zaha should be the next player to face a retrospective ban for diving after the award of the late spot-kick.

But Hodgson argued: “If the referee’s that close and has given the penalty then presumably he’s seen it as one.” the Emirates, the Gunners would now be willing to take £25m for him.

Guardiola said: “I think he is going to stay at Arsenal. We will have meetings and see what is best. But my feeling now is Alexis is an Arsenal player.”

Kevin De Bruyne was also stretchered off after a late horror tackle from Jason Puncheon.