Premier League: Palace soar to an unexpected victory on the champions’ own patch! The Eagles were well drilled and dogged and thoroughly deserving of the three points, secured by goals from Zaha and Gallagher. City were out of sorts, although they weren’t helped by Laporte’s red card late in the first half. They’ll bounce back.
City dominated the game in terms of possession but couldn’t defeat Crystal Palace in terms of the end scoreline. City at 68% of the possession and fired a total of 14 shots but only 3 of them were on target which were equal to Crystal Palace shots on target.
The first goal was scored in the first few minutes of the match. Wilfried Zaha scored that goal. It’s a simple goal stemming from Gallagher robbing Laporte. Zaha received the pass and played a one-two with Gallagher to beat Dias before rolling past Ederson into the far bottom corner.
Just before the first ended Laporte was dismissed for his clumsy challenge on Zaha. He looked forlorn as he headed down the tunnel. He was unfortunate to be sent off but it was a mess entirely of his own making. He had a nightmare of the first half.
Conor scored the second goal that turned out a nightmare for City fans and Palace sealed the victory. Olise raced forward and found Zaha in the box. Zaha held the ball up with some trickery and passed back to Olise. Olise laid off to Gallagher who sweeps a shot past Ederson off the right-hand post.
It was not to be for City in this game. Mahrez was in space at the far post but nodded well wide from Sterling’s high cross. Guaita took the goal kick and that was it. Palace had done it.
Manchester City has lost four of their last 10 Premier League home games (W5 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 55 on home soil (W46 D5 L4).
Crystal Palace has suffered just two defeats in their opening 10 games of the season (W2 D6), their lowest haul of losses after 10 games of a top-flight season since 1990-91, when they’d lost none.
Manchester City has picked up three red cards in the Premier League in 2021, last receiving more in a calendar year in 2012 (4).
Wilfried Zaha was racially abused after the match and this was his message on Instagram for the act. “This message isn’t for me to get a million messages saying we stand with you and it’s disgusting or about me getting sympathy,” Zaha wrote on Instagram.
“I don’t mind abuse because nowadays it comes with doing the job I do even though it’s not an excuse but my color will always be the real problem, it’s fine because I’ll always be BLACK AND PROUD!
“Speak to me when you actually take this issue seriously.”
In February Zaha said he would stop taking the knee before games.
He said players “should stand tall” and that in his view taking the knee is “degrading”.
Speaking at the time he said: “Growing up, my parents let me know I should be proud to be black. We should stand tall.
“With taking a knee, sometimes people forget we have to do it. It is becoming something we just do. That is not enough for me.”
