Manchester City roared back from two goals down to demolish Crystal Palace 5-2 on Saturday, with Kevin De Bruyne delivering a vintage performance to reignite their Champions League push.
Facing a shock defeat at the Etihad after early goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards, Pep Guardiola’s men looked rattled. But De Bruyne, in his first home appearance since announcing his summer departure, rolled back the years to orchestrate a breathtaking comeback.
The Belgian midfielder sparked the revival with a thunderous free-kick, then provided a sublime assist for Mateo Kovacic to fire City ahead after the break. Further goals from Omar Marmoush, James McAtee, and Nico O’Reilly sealed a vital win that lifted City back into fourth place.
The only concern for Guardiola was a second-half injury to goalkeeper Ederson, who was forced off after an error-strewn opening period.
City had fallen behind in just the sixth minute when Ismaila Sarr’s low cross was calmly finished by Eze at the far post. Palace doubled their lead after Ederson flapped at a corner, allowing Richards to nod in from close range.
The visitors thought they had added a third through Eze, only for it to be ruled out by the Premier League’s new semi-automated offside system.
That reprieve lit a fire under City. De Bruyne rattled the woodwork with a long-range rocket before halving the deficit with a free-kick that clipped the post on its way in.
Three minutes later, Marmoush tucked in the equaliser after City swarmed the Palace box in waves.
The turnaround was complete early in the second half when Kovacic buried De Bruyne’s perfectly timed pass. McAtee, making his first Premier League start, made it four with a cool finish after racing onto Ederson’s long ball, and O’Reilly put the icing on the cake with a crisp volley from the edge of the area.
City leapfrogged into the top four, but with Chelsea and Newcastle close behind, Guardiola’s side still face a tight battle for Champions League qualification.
AFP
