The match kicked off the 32nd round of the Premier League, starting with City's dominance from the first seconds. Guardiola's side took to the field with Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri; Bobb, De Bruyne, Julián, Grealish; Haaland. On the other side, Glasner's team lined up as Henderson; Ward, Andersen, Lerma; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Mateta, and Ayew. Guardiola was without Walker and Aké due to physical issues, while Crystal Palace was missing Johnstone, Holding, Guehi, Doucouré, Rak.Sakyi, and Richards.Moreover, Erling Haaland was back in the starting eleven after having been benched without playing a minute against Aston Villa.
In the first play of the game, a poor pass from Stones during a defensive move in the midfield allowed Crystal Palace to counter-attack, with Jean-Philippe Mateta breaking away with the ball from three-quarters of the field, reaching the area, and sending the ball past City's goalkeeper, Ortega, making it an uphill battle for Guardiola's team from almost the first minute.
Entertaining match from the first minute
The game promised to be a typical Premier League match, as demonstrated by Kevin De Bruyne. 10 minutes after conceding, the Belgian fired a shot from outside the box into the opposite corner, scoring what would be one of the goals of the round, impossible for the home goalkeeper to save. Guardiola's team managed to level the score at 1-1, effectively restarting the match.
Shortly after, Haaland had a clear chance to put the visitors ahead when he found himself one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, who anticipated his intentions and managed to stop the ball. By the 20th minute, both teams had shown the threat they posed: Crystal Palace, with space for counter-attacks, could be very dangerous, and City, with even the slightest chance, could create significant danger. The game was fluid, typical of English matches where the viewer enjoys the spectacle, whether they support either team or not.
City dominated possession and created opportunities as they approached the opposing area. Julián Álvarez tried his luck from outside the box after half an hour, but his shot veered right of the goal defended by Dean Henderson. The citizens tried to find spaces against a well-organized Crystal Palace defense that aimed to close gaps whenever City neared their goal. The hosts sought to intercept the ball and capitalize on potential counter-attacks, but it was challenging to take possession away from Guardiola's players, who increasingly insisted on taking the lead.
A loss of possession by Rodri during City's buildup led to a clear chance for the hosts. The Spanish midfielder's error left 3 Crystal Palace attackers facing a single City defender. Ayew moved into the area, shot, and his effort crashed against the crossbar, once again instilling fear in Guardiola's team, reminding them that any loss of possession could lead to a clear opportunity for the opposition.
Matches at Crystal Palace's home ground had a common theme: holding out until halftime. Glasner's side had played 14 matches at their stadium this season, and in only one of them had they been trailing at the break.
City’s superiority in the second half
The second half began with a different tone, completely altering the complexion of the game. In the first shot on goal for Guardiola's team, Lewis picked up a rebound inside the small box and managed to score amidst the legs of the players, putting the ball into the net. This marked the beginning of a second half in which City managed to turn the game around and take the lead. With that goal, Lewis positioned City second in the league, ahead of Arsenal (who had a game in hand), tied at 70 points with Liverpool, though they had yet to play their match against Ten Hag's United at Old Trafford.
As expected, once they had secured the lead, City began to control the match, monopolizing the ball and dictating the pace at all times. Crystal Palace, on their part, tried to consolidate their defense to prevent Guardiola's team from scoring a third goal and looked to exploit any mistake by the visitors and their counter-attacks to create danger.
Julián Álvarez had a chance to score the third goal for the visitors five minutes later, but a defender on the ground touched the ball enough to deflect it for a corner. It was a significant opportunity for City, who were close to scoring a third goal to increase their lead in the match.
Crystal Palace struggled to maintain possession, quickly losing the ball, and City aimed to take advantage of the home team's poor form during the game.
In another City play that penetrated the area, Grealish delivered the ball inside to Kevin De Bruyne, who then set it back for Haaland to push into the net. Guardiola's team extended their lead, and Haaland, who had a significant opportunity earlier, took advantage of the Belgian's assist to score a goal and provide his team with more comfort.
Two minutes later, the brilliance in play and superiority were evident with City's fourth goal by Kevin De Bruyne. Rodri passed the ball inside the box for him to strike first time, adding a fourth goal for his team. The Belgian, who had already scored and assisted, notched another goal to his personal tally, showcasing his quality at Selhurst Park. Akanji passed to Grealish, who then sent the ball to De Bruyne; reaching the byline, he cut it back for Haaland to easily push it in. The Norwegian has now scored 19 goals in total.
City began to enjoy the game against a Crystal Palace team that had barely managed to keep the ball for at least 5 minutes during the second half. The moments of good play and superiority from Guardiola's team were evident after the fourth City goal. In the 70th minute, thinking ahead to the Champions League match against Real Madrid on the upcoming Tuesday, April 9, Guardiola substituted Rodri and Julián Álvarez to give them a rest.
As the game approached its final minutes, Crystal Palace managed to score a second goal. Edouard headed in after a fine cross from his teammate, putting the second on the scoreboard for his team and attempting to bring more excitement to the match.