Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City: Erling Haaland penalty keeps pressure on Arsenal

Manchester Metropolis maintained the stress on leaders Arsenal because the Premier League champions lowered the hole on the prime to 2 factors with a hard-fought victory over struggling Crystal Palace.

Erling Haaland settled the match from the penalty spot for his twenty eighth objective of the marketing campaign, stroking his 78th-minute spot-kick into the underside nook after Michael Olise’s late problem on Ilkay Gundogan.

The guests had been unable to capitalise on a purposeful begin, which noticed Rodri’s first-time effort drive Vicente Guaita into motion and Jack Grealish pull a low shot huge after he had darted into the penalty space.

Haaland, who scored his first Premier League hat-trick within the reverse fixture in August, went closest within the first half, however the league’s prime scorer remarkably did not hit the goal following Nathan Ake’s cross into the six-yard field.

A shot-shy Palace pushed for a late equaliser in opposition to a retreating Metropolis, however it was to no avail because the hosts went a Premier League report third successive league sport with out managing a shot heading in the right direction.

The defeat extends Palace’s regarding league winless run to 10 matches – the longest within the division – and leaves Patrick Vieira’s facet simply 4 factors above the relegation locations.

For Metropolis, the victory is a optimistic notice to start one other essential week – with the second leg of their Champions League final 16 tie in opposition to RB Leipzig subsequent earlier than an FA Cup quarter-final in opposition to Burnley.

“After all Arsenal is on an unimaginable run. Nonetheless we’re there,” Guardiola informed Sky Sports activities.

“Right here within the typical winter sport, a tough one, we have been there on a regular basis after which we received it.

“Now we have now to do completely every little thing and subsequent Tuesday and Saturday. Hopefully the Etihad can reside among the finest nights we have now lived and we are able to do it once more.”

Metropolis battle to 3 factors to remain in contact

It’s no secret that Metropolis have been removed from their scintillating finest this time period – this third successive win equalled their longest profitable streak within the league this season.

And but, ominously for Arsenal, Guardiola’s champions stay inside hanging distance of a fifth title in six years.

That’s regardless of enduring a irritating night in south London, the place victory was in the end delivered by a mistake from Olise, who needlessly felled Gundogan as Palace gave the impression to be edging in the direction of a helpful level.

The guests dominated possession, territory and probabilities, however Palace held agency underneath intervals of intense stress, with Grealish – enjoying with growing swagger as he continues to develop on this Metropolis group – proving the important thing menace as playmaker Kevin de Bruyne watched on from the bench.

Phil Foden was unable to construct on his current return to kind, though his remaining contribution earlier than he was changed by Julian Alvarez lower than quarter-hour into the second half was to go shut with a free-kick that Guaita sprung throughout to avoid wasting.

Alvarez spurned the possibility to make a near-instant impression as he blazed over, however Haaland held his nerve when offered with the possibility to interrupt the impasse and clinch three essential factors.

Vieira, in the meantime, is correct to be involved about his facet’s state of affairs, with the Eagles amongst 9 groups within the relegation image within the remaining third of the season.

Scoring targets is the plain challenge for Palace. Their watch for a shot heading in the right direction will now lengthen to a fourth sport after setting a contest report since Opta started recording such information in 2003-04.

They have been handed a uncommon first-half opening when Olise dispossessed Foden in midfield and set Wilfried Zaha away, whereas substitute Eberechi Eze noticed an try blocked amid a late seek for an equaliser.

Palace’s 5 factors in 2023 is the bottom within the division, and simply 4 factors separate Vieira’s misfiring facet from the relegation locations earlier than tough journeys to Brighton after which Arsenal.

Participant of the match

GrealishJack Grealish

Crystal Palace

1. Squad quantity11Participant identifyZaha

2. Squad quantity16Participant identifyAndersen

3. Squad quantity6Participant identifyGuéhi

4. Squad quantity15Participant identifySchlupp

5. Squad quantity7Participant identifyOlise

6. Squad quantity17Participant identifyClyne

7. Squad quantity13Participant identifyGuaita

8. Squad quantity8Participant identifySambi Lokonga

9. Squad quantity3Participant identifyMitchell

10. Squad quantity29Participant identifyAhamada

11. Squad quantity4Participant identifyMilivojevic

12. Squad quantity9Participant identifyJ Ayew

13. Squad quantity10Participant identifyEze

14. Squad quantity22Participant identifyÉdouard

15. Squad quantity2Participant identifyWard

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