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Manchester City secured a narrow 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11.
City entered this game on the back of three wins and two draws in their last five games across competitions. After consecutive 1-1 draws with RB Leipzig and Nottingham Forest, Pep Guardiola's men secured three wins on the bounce. They brushed off Bournemouth with a 4-1 scoreline before defeating Bristol City 3-0 in the FA Cup and Newcastle United 2-0 in the Premier League.
Knowing a win was crucial to keep their title aspirations alive, Guardiola fielded a strong lineup for this game.
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Manchester City made a dominant start to the game as they controlled the majority of the possession in the first half, allowing them to commit men forward to create chances. They kept the ball for 72% of the first half, creating eight shooting chances but hit the target just once. Erling Haaland endured a slow start to the game as he struggled to hit the target.
Crystal Palace's defensive shape was very narrow and compact, and as expected, they sat deep to absorb all the pressure from Manchester City. The Eagles had the ball for just 28% of the first half, attempting two shots but failing to hit the target. Despite no significant opportunities for either side, the game was played with a smooth flow at a good pace.
City and Palace were deadlocked at 0-0 heading into half-time.
Manchester City picked up where they left off in the first half as they began the second period by keeping the ball for extended periods. They passed the ball and patiently waited for Crystal Palace to make mistakes so they could capitalize. That exactly happened after 78 minutes as Ilkay Gundogan was clipped in the box and City were awarded a penalty. Haaland stepped up and scored to make it 1-0.
With just under 10 minutes left to play after falling behind, Crystal Palace tried their best to create chances in search of a late equalizer. However, the defending champions showed their experience and class as they closed out the game effectively to secure a 1-0 win.
On that note, let's take a look at Manchester City's player ratings.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 6.5/10
Ederson had relatively little to do as Crystal Palace did not pose a threat to his goal. He did not have a single save to make but passed the ball with 95% accuracy.
John Stones - 7.5/10
Stones started as the right-back and played an inverted role, drifting into defensive midfield during the attacking transitions. He won six duels, making four tackles, two blocks and one interception. Stones also played one key pass and two long balls.
Manuel Akanji - 7.5/10
Akanji put in an assured display in City's backline. He won one duels, making three interceptions, three clearances and one block. He played one key pass and six long balls.
Ruben Dias - 7/10
Dias was solid at the back and distributed the ball well. He won two duels, making two clearances and one interception in the process. He also played five long balls and was booked for a foul.
Nathan Ake - 7.5/10
Ake was strong in the tackle and played a hard game. He was booked for a foul midway through the second half. Ake won seven of his nine duels, making two tackles and two clearances. He also played two key passes and was booked for a foul.
Rodri - 8/10
Rodri put in a strong performance at the heart of Manchester City's midfield. He passed the ball with 88% accuracy, including one key pass, one cross and six long balls. He also won 11 duels, making three tackles and one interception.
Ilkay Gundogan - 7/10
Gundogan played in a double-pivot with Rodri but often pushed forward as a late runner when the Spaniard sat back. He passed the ball with 83% accuracy, including one key pass, three crosses and one long ball.
Phil Foden - 7/10
Foden had a good game as he won five of his eight duels, making two interceptions and one clearance. He also completed three dribbles and attempted one shot on target. Foden played one key pass as well.
Bernardo Silva - 6.5/10
Silva put in a good performance for the Cityzens. He won three duels, played four long balls and one key pass.
Jack Grealish - 7/10
Grealish looked sharp with the ball at his feet and got into some good positions to help City progress up the pitch. He won five duels, completed three dribbles and played two key passes.
Erling Haaland - 6.5/10
Haaland was ineffective in front of goal today as he struggled for accuracy initially. However, he converted a penalty in the second half which proved to be the winner for Manchester City.
Substitutes
Julian Alvarez - 7/10
Alvarez replaced Foden in the second period and put in a good performance for Manchester City.
Kevin De Bruyne - 6.5/10
De Bruyne replaced Bernardo in the second period and played well.
Kyle Walker - N/A
He came on with just a couple of minutes left to play and did not play enough to warrant a rating.
