CRYSTAL PALACE 2 - 1 MANCHESTER CITY : A STUNNING WIN

PUNCHEON'S OUTSTANDING FREE KICK

match details :

(FT)   CRYSTAL PALACE  2-1   MANCHESTER CITY

34 '      Glenn Murray                   1 - 0 

48 '      Jason Puncheon               2 - 0

78 '                                               2 - 1   Yaya Toure 

 statistics :

3                                         shots on target                         6

1                                         shots off target                       13

26                                       possession (%)                       74

4                                         corners                                   13

2                                         offsides                                    0

11                                       fouls                                       11

2                                         yellow cards                            1

13                                       goal kicks                                3

THE DOUBTFUL GOAL OF MURRAY

LINE UP :

CRYSTAL PLACE—Speroni; Ward, Delaney, Dann, Kelly; McArthur, Ledley; Puncheon, Zaha, Bolasie; Murray.


MANCHESTER CITY—Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva; Dzeko, Aguero.

HIGHLIGHT:

     

• 1'

  And we're off! Palace get us underway, attacking from right to left.

         

• 2'

  What an opportunity for Palace! The hosts immediately push forward on a great attack, with Kelly finding plenty of space down the left flank before unleashing a wonderful low cross towards the back post. It marginally misses Puncheon before falling at the feet of Zaha, but he ends up firing his first-time shot just over the top of the crossbar from close range.

• 4'

  Palace patiently pass the ball around midway inside their own half of the pitch before Delaney sends a lofted pass up towards Murray, who brings the ball down well but is unable to find Puncheon and instead nods his header into the feet of Kompany.

• 5'

  Again, a long pass forward momentarily catches out the City defence, with Bolasie finding Murray with a great volleyed ball from his own half of the pitch. The striker tries to take on Kompany but doesn't have the pace to beat the defender, who dispossesses the Palace forward with a good interception.

• 7'

  Puncheon does well to muscle his way through a sea of City players before trying to find Kelly with a long pass over to the left flank, but he undoes all of his hard work with a poor ball that bounces harmlessly out of play for a throw-in.

• 9'

  City push forward on their first real attack of the game, with Sagna and Navas linking up well on the right wing before the latter spins and tees up Silva. The Spaniard, who is left in acres of space in the middle of the pitch, then tries to chip a deft pass into the path of Aguero, but it's slightly overhit and misses the striker's outstretched foot before going out of play for a goal kick.

• 11'

  Murray is brought down by a clumsy challenge from Demichelis, resulting in a free kick for Palace midway inside the City half of the pitch. It's flung towards the back post where it finds Dann, and the defender then nods the ball into the path of Puncheon, but his half-hearted shot from the edge of the penalty area loops into the hands of Hart.

• 13'

  Fantastic play by City! After saving Puncheon's strike, Hart immediately unleashes a brilliant kick that finds Aguero inside the Palace half of the pitch. He charges forward before skipping round Speroni, who had rushed out to the edge of his box, and cutting the ball back to Silva, but the Spaniard's quick shot is tipped over the top of the crossbar by a great save by the Argentine goalkeeper.

• 15'

  City push forward well once again, with the Palace defence finding it impossible to clear the danger under so pressure. The ball pinballs around the penalty area before finally falling at the feet of Fernandinho, but the Brazilian ends up scuffing his first-time shot well wide of the goal.

• 17'

  Toure lifts a lovely pass over the top of two Palace players and into the path of Clichy, but Zaha does extremely well to dart across and dispossess the defender before forcing him into running the ball out of play for a throw-in near the corner flag.

• 19'

  Aguero hits the post! Silva breaks forward again before teeing up the Argentine, who quickly shifts the ball to his right foot before unleashing an excellent low shot from the edge of the penalty area that beats Speroni before ricocheting off the far post.

• 18'

  A sloppy pass from Puncheon gifts possession back to City in the middle of the pitch, and the visitors immediately break away on a quick counter attack. Silva plays the ball to Dzeko, who has Aguero making a great run to his left-hand side, but he fails to spot the Argentine and ends up getting dispossessed on the edge of the penalty area.

• 21'

  Navas and Toure play a quick one-two on the edge of the penalty area before the latter lifts a great cross towards Dzeko at the far post, but the Bosnian is beaten to the ball by Dann, who then blasts the ball away from danger.
• 25'

  City are bossing possession at the moment and spending the vast majority of their time camped inside the Palace half of the pitch, but the hosts are doing well to put as many bodies as possible behind the ball as they look to keep them at bay.

• 29'

  Dzeko sends a great pass out to Navas, who beats Kelly before unleashing a deep cross towards the back post. It flies over the head of Aguero, however, before being comfortably collected by Dann on the left-hand side of the penalty area.

   32'

  It's attack after attack from City! First Kompany goes close with a header from a corner that almost finds its way into the top of the net before Aguero sees his fierce strike from the left-hand side of the penalty area fly just over the top of the crossbar.

   

   

  • 33'

    Murray wins another free kick for Palace after holding the ball up well, allowing Palace the chance to breathe and regroup. They play it short to Zaha, who then fires his cross off Clichy and out of play for a corner.

   

  Goal Glenn Murray
  GOAL! Palace have taken the lead! The resulting corner is poor, but City fail to clear the danger, allowing Ward to fire the ball back towards the penalty area. It's nodded into the path of Dann, who then unleashes a low shot that bounces off the leg of Hart before being tapped into the back of the net by Murray from close range

  • 36'

    That unexpected goal seems to have hit City hard, and the visitors are finding it difficult to string together a decent series of passes in the Palace half of the pitch.

   

   

  • 38'

    Another determined City attack breaks down, and Palace immediately push forward on a quick counter attack through Zaha. The winger darts down the right flank before trying to beat Clichy, but the defender does well to intercept the former Manchester United man with a strong tackle.

   

  • 39'

    A great Palace attack ends on the edge of the penalty area with Puncheon, who then tries to thread a deft through-ball into the path of Zaha, but the winger fails to keep his run going and the pass instead finds the grateful hands of Hart.

     
  •  40'

    Yellow CardDamien Delaney
    Delaney becomes the first player to enter the referee's book after a poor lunging challenge on Aguero midway inside the Palace half of the pitch.

     42'City earn themselves a corner, which is whipped towards the back post where it meets Demichelis. The Argentine unleashes a quick volley that beats Speroni but flies just over the top of the crossbar.

     

    44'

  • City patiently work their way forward before Toure decides to fire a fierce strike from 30 yards out, but, unsurprisingly, the Ivorian's audacious effort ends up flying over the top of the goal and out of play for a goal kick, much to the annoyance of his teammates.

• HALF-TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY

   
   
• 48'

  Goal Jason Puncheon
  GOAL! It's 2-0 to Palace! Puncheon steps up and fires an absolutely brilliant strike that curls over the top of the City wall and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, just a few inches out of the reach of Hart. What a brilliant start to the second half for the hosts!

 50'
 Puncheon spins round Toure near the halfway line before sending a great pass over towards Zaha on  the right flank. The winger is beaten to the ball by Clichy but the defender's headed clearance is poor, sending it back to the former Manchester United man. However, his deft back-heel is unable to beat the Frenchman and gifts possession to City.

• 53'

  Once again, City push a plethora of players forward in search of a way back into the game, but this time it's a poor pass from Silva that misses Navas before rolling harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

• 55'

  Toure and Aguero exchange a quick one-two on the edge of the Palace penalty area before the latter then tries to find the Ivorian with a deft through-ball, but he's unable to send it through the sea of defenders camped in front of him and the hosts are momentarily able to regain possession once again.

• 57'

  Yellow CardJason Puncheon
  Puncheon deliberately handles the ball 25 yards away from the Palace goal, resulting in a yellow card for the goalscorer and a free kick for City in a very dangerous position.

• 66'

  SubstitutionEdin Dzeko off  Frank Lampard  on
  City have decided to make their first substitution of the game, with Lampard coming on to take the place of Dzeko.

   68'

  • Yellow CardMartín Demichelis
    Toure twists and turns inside the Palace penalty area but is unable to find a pass, allowing McArthur to comfortably tackle him on the edge of the box. The midfielder immediately sends the ball up to Murray, who is clattered into from behind by Demichelis, resulting in a yellow card for the Argentine.

   

   

  • 71'

    The resulting set-piece finds Fernandinho, who immediately sends a bouncing strike towards goal that seems to hit the hand of Murray. The City players scream for a penalty but the referee shakes his head and wavs play on.

     

     

    • 77'

      Substitution Jesús Navas González off Samir Nasri  on .
      City have made their second change of the evening, with Navas making way for Nasri.

       
      

      • 78'

        GoalYaya Touré
        GOAL! City are back in the game! A wonderful low cross from Nasri is only half cleared by Dann, allowing Toure to take a touch before firing an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area that beats Speroni before flying into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Game on!

         

         

        • 83'

          SubstitutionGlenn Murray Yaya Sanogo
          Palace have decided to make their first substitution of the game, with Sanogo coming on to take the place of Murray.

         

        • 84'

          SubstitutionYannick Bolasie P. Souaré
          And now Palace have made another change, and it's a defensive one, with Bolasie making way for Souare.

           

           88'

          SubstitutionWilfried Zaha Dwight Gayle
          And now Palace have made a final change as well, with Gayle coming on to take the place of Zaha for the final few moments of the game.

           

          • FULL-TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY