Manchester Citys dominant 3-0 (2-0) win over Crystal Palace piles the pressure on league leaders Arsenal as the Premier League season nears its climax. Pep Guardiola’s side now sit just two points off the top, with both teams having two games left.
Phil Foden was the architect of the victory in the rescheduled fixture, setting up both first-half goals: Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring in the 32nd minute after a clever Foden backheel, and Omar Marmoush doubled the lead in the 40th minute following a pass from Josko Gvardiol and Foden’s lay-off. Savinho wrapped up the win in the 84th minute.
Guardiola made deliberate rotations with Saturday’s FA Cup final (4:00 p.m./DAZN) against Chelsea in mind— Erling Haaland stayed on the bench for the full 90, while Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku came on as subs. Meanwhile, former Leipzig man Gvardiol marked his return from a shinbone fracture, making his first appearance since January 4th. Palace boss Oliver Glasner dryly noted Guardiola’s rotation: “Pep rotated more than we expected.”
In the season’s finale, City face AFC Bournemouth and Aston Villa, while Arsenal host Burnley before traveling to local rivals Crystal Palace.
