Crystal Palace 0 Man City 1: Haaland penalty helps visitors edge past stubborn hosts and keep up pressure on Arsenal
ERLING HAALAND ensured Manchester City will still have something to fight for following the international break.
His penalty sparked relief in the City ranks after a nervy evening of wasted chances at Crystal Palace.
With 15 minutes to go, Pep Guardiola was facing the prospect of returning to Premier League action next month with Arsenal – who play twice before the break – nine points clear in the race for the title.
It had looked like being one of those days for the visitors, where their domination refused to turn into defeat for their dogged opponents.
Another one of those days that City have perhaps had one too many of already this campaign.
Haaland was missing golden chances, Vicente Guaita was making impressive saves and Guardiola was going potty in pouring South London rain.
But finally their stone-cold striker sorted himself out to seal three points.
It was not entertaining, those boycotting Match of the Day this evening will not miss much, but it worked. Champions so often find a way, something which will keep Arsenal feeling uneasy right until the end.
Guardiola raised eyebrows by benching Kevin De Bruyne and selecting four centre-halves at the back, with Kyle Walker amongst the substitutes.
Guardiola had supported Walker this week after The Sun revealed that the City man had exposed himself in a bar after their victory over Newcastle last weekend.
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The Spaniard insisted that the decision to start John Stones ahead the England man in the roaming right-back role was a tactical one.
Stones was involved from the off, looking to tee up Haaland with a nod into the six yard box.
Palace managed to hook it back a few yards, where Rodri met the ball with a fierce volley, forcing a flying save from his compatriot Vicente Guaita.
Guaita was then throwing himself down to the right to try and stop a low Jack Grealish effort following a mazy run through red and blue shirts, though his shot was dragged just wide.
After the early flashes, the Palace defence held off the champions well, nodding away cross after cross and reducing Manuel Akanji to a sliced effort from range.
When Viera’s men were opened up, there was even a freak mistake from Haaland to let them off.
Bernardo Silva slipped the ball into Nathan Ake, who turned and squared for the unmarked Norwegian.
From seven yards the machine suffered a malfunction, blazing over the bar and leaving his manager with his head buried in his hands.
Palace’s rare forays into the City half were led by Wilfried Zaha, making his first home appearance since late January following his return from injury.
The Ivorian slipped in behind the back line to collect a long ball but skewed his effort wide of the far post.
Zaha’s return makes Palace feel more dangerous but, as in their previous two Premier League outings, they failed to manage a single shot on target here.
Palace’s blunt edge earned them an unwelcome record as the first top flight club to go three games without a strike at goal since the boffins at Opta started recording their data in 2003.
Their main focus here, however, was still keeping the goals out at the other end, and Guaita was doing a lot of heavy lifting.
He punched clear a low Haaland cross before anyone could turn it in and the, after the break, got down to deny Phil Foden from a low free-kick.
That effort was Foden’s last involvement, with Guardiola not even waiting until the hour mark to mix things up and send on Julian Alvarez.
But the World Cup winner, sent on ahead of the benched Kevin De Bruyne, hardly helped, following a superb turn to leave Luka Milivojevic grounded with a skied effort.
As City toiled in their efforts to find an opener, their back line were collecting yellow cards for rough challenges on Palace’s wingers, Zaha and Michael Olise.
After watching another ten minutes of sideways passing without much probing, Guardiola sent for De Bruyne.
Though before the Belgian had even finished getting his boots on, City were handed a lifeline.
Olise crashed into Gundogan after the German had laid the ball back, sending him over and causing ref Robert Jones to point to the spot.
Olise stood staring in disbelief, but there was no VAR to come and salvage the situation.
Haaland, having already fluffed one presentable chance, composed himself with a glance to the sky and made no mistake this time – firing his 28th Prem goal low into the bottom left.
A chance for a 29th was sent over the bar as Haaland misjudged Grealish’s looping cross.
Palace looked to push forward with Eberechi Eze and Odsonne Edouard sent on and Zaha still flying down the left to the sound of the Holmesdale drums – but nothing clear cut could be forged, leaving them still without a win in 2023.