City secure points in a SILVA’S flash of brilliance CASE FOR DEFENCE
IT HAD all the makings. When the team-sheets were handed out, there was more than a whiff of anticipation in south London.
Manchester City could not even muster a regular centre half. They had Joao Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy playing as full backs — neither renowned for dedication to defensive duties.
We had a Manchester City team who, having been upset by Norwich, had also fallen at home to Wolves in their last outing.
Roy Hodgson is never knowingly over-excited and scoffed prophetically pre- match when asked if City’s back four gave him some hope for the afternoon.
Of course it was Manchester City, one of the great teams in English football history. But there was Wilfried Zaha to exploit that space. There was the unshakeable efficiency of a t eam coached by Hodgson. And there was a sense that, just maybe, City were vulnerable.
It is a measure of Pep Guardiola’s team that they generally clear these kind of hurdles comfortably — take them in their stride like an Olympic athlete, barely brushing the barriers as they sprint onwards to the next goal. It is true that for 40 minutes, City’s chances were limited to the kind that look good in the stats — shots that require saves but are unlikely to break the deadlock.
Yet Gabriel Jesus eventually found a way through. Then David Silva scored one of the most delightful goals you will see this season. And then City left to fly home, job done, points in the bag.
Indeed it was only in the final 13 minutes of the game that their make-shift defence was ever properly tested.
The clock was on 77 minutes when Christian Benteke rose to meet a corner with a header, his first touch after coming on. Ederson did brilliantly to touch the ball away on to the bar. On 89 minutes Ederson again athletically scrambled away a Zaha shot.
It fell for Jordan Ayew, a few yards out, the path to goal clear. Yet he hurried his volley, launching it far over the cross bar. It was all too little, too late.
This isn’t yet a major recovery for City. They will need Liverpool to drop points at Old Trafford t o feel t his was a significant weekend. But it was reminder that they are far too good and will accumulate far too many points for Liverpool ever to relax this season.
Crystal Palace seemed well set early on. Hodgson had them lined up 4-5-1. Manchester City had been restricted to innocuous crosses and long-range shots.
Of course they were dominating possession, but not with the elan they usually display. In the aftermath of their defeat at home to Wolves, they had a back four which included two midfielders. Selhurst Park was anticipating something special.
Maybe not quite as special as the 3-2 win at The Etihad last season — but at least an evening in which City’s centre half pairing of Rodri and Fernandinho and those attacking full backs were stretched to the full. And all was going to plan until the 40th minute. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you break the deadlock, it’s just important that you do.
Bernardo Silva swung the cross in and it looked like it might be beyond Gabri e l J e s u s . Di v i n g a t it, unsighted, it rebounded off head and shoulder on to the post and into the net. It wasn’t especially pretty. But it did the trick.
The lead taken, City took only 93 seconds to extend it. Palace attacked from the kick off but Kevin de Bruyne won the ball back, sprinted half the pitch on the counter and found Bernardo. o. He worked the ball across oss to Raheem Sterling via a touch from Mendy.
What happened next was sublime. With a little flick, Sterling scooped the ball over the Palace defence.
David Silva, anticipating this as though it were the most natural thing in the world, had sprinted beyond the back line, tracked the ball all the time as it looped over his shoulder and struck it sweetly — nut-megging Hennessey to make it 2-0. Outstanding.
If it wasn’t game over, it was certainly now a very different type of team talk Hodgson would have to deliver at half time. Sometimes City get a little lucky, as with the first finish. Yet sometimes they are simply unplayable, as with the second. And that rather scuppers the best-laid plans. Palace Palac hadn’t bothered too much m to go on the offensive. off There were w huge roars on the t two occasions when Zaha was played in or when Rodrigo slipped and allowed a run at a goal before Sterling, lin tracking back, robbed rob him. But it was clearly a tactic to be unleashed unle later in the game. That, however, relied on them getting to half time goalless, which they couldn’t manage.
Come the re-start, Palace at least demonstrated some fight when Joel Ward took issue with Sterling for a late challenge.
The England winger earned a booking. And Palace were also registering shots in the direction of goal, a neat one- two saw James McArthur set up Cheikhou Kouyaté on 50 minutes, but he drove the ball rather wildly over the bar.
Sterling was a growing influence, digging out a shot on 53 minutes which rebounded off the post. Yet the introduction of Andros Townsend offered fresh hope.
Palace at least needed to challenge City’s make-shift back line but were making little headway.
And they were fortunate to escape a VAR review on 63 minutes. De Bruyne burst into the box, Zaha tracking him.
De Bruyne had probably nudged the ball too far ahead but he barge and the hand on his back were fouls, nonetheless. Anthony Taylor judged it minimal contact. VAR declined to overturn the decision.
City continued to make all the running Gabriel Jesus unleashing a shot which Hennessey did well to turn away on 68 minutes.