Torres wraps up the win for Pep’s men
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 Aguero (57), Torres (59)
MANCHESTER CITY 2 Pep Guardiola would rather Manchester City wrap up the Premier League title this weekend and will take a look at what is happening at Old Trafford today.
A win away to Crystal Palace has put the leaders on the verge of another topflight crown and it will be confirmed if second-placed Manchester United lose at home to Liverpool.
If City fail to receive a helping hand from Jurgen Klopp’s side, they can seal a third title in four years at the Etihad Stadium against Chelsea next Saturday.
Second-half strikes by Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres in the capital ensured Guardiola’s men have one hand on the Premier League trophy following a 25th top-flight victory of the campaign.
Asked if he would rather seal more title success on home turf next weekend, the Spaniard insisted: “No, as soon as possible.
“I will take a look at the United game and what happens, happens.
“Again, it is in our hands. If we don’t win it tomorrow, we try to do it next week, if not next week, the next week. We have four games, we need two points in four games to be champions.”
City stalwart Aguero was key to this triumph in London after Palace had been able to frustrate the visitors during a competitive first half.
The club’s record goalscorer will depart at the end of the season, following a difficult year where he has struggled with injuries, but showed his class with goal number 182 in the Premier League after 57 minutes. Guardiola added: “He is an absolutely top, legend, extraordinary
player behaving as the most humble and nicest human being.
“That’s why I love him as a man, another player in his situation and what he has done could create conflict and a difficult situation.
“This season we took a decision, a difficult one, one of the toughest ones I took especially because he was injured for a long time and this club next season needs to make another step to maintain this level for a longer time. But what he has done in this club will remain forever
and we want to finish the best way possible. And he is going to help us in the Champions League and going to help us in the Premier League to finish it.”
Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Aguero were given opportunities from the off in the capital after they failed to make it off the bench in Wednesday’s win in Paris and it was the England international who had City’s first genuine chance of the contest.
Good defending by the recalled Tyrick Mitchell contributed towards the winger
only firing wide to ensure his goal drought continued.
While Guardiola saw his team enjoy the majority of possession, the hosts looked a threat on the counter and almost took the lead in the 28th minute, but Christian Benteke was denied by Ederson from close range.
The champions-elect nearly produced the perfect response when Jesus volleyed past Vicente Guaita eight minutes later from a
Fernandinho cross. The offside flag had been raised though and a brief VAR check confirmed it was the right decision.
Scott Dann’s intervention kept the score 0-0 after Torres had attempted to square for Jesus inside the six-yard box, but it was a brief reprieve for Roy Hodgson’s side with the deadlock broken after 57 minutes.
Benjamin Mendy picked out Aguero in the area and he
controlled before his strike was rifled into the roof of the net. Spanish winger Torres was another eager to impress and he made it 2-0 within two minutes of Aguero’s effort to wrap up the points.
Palace boss Hodgson said: “Watching them as close as I have done these last four years in the league, and seeing the way Pep has worked with this team, I have got to say I don’t think I have ever come across a team that good.”