Premier League GW17 - Man City vs Crystal Palace

Man City vs Crystal Palace | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City and Crystal Palace played a thrilling Premier League match that left fans on an emotional rollercoaster. The stage was set for an exciting clash, with Palace anxious to break their winless run and City looking to cut the gap at the top.

Man City:

Before leaving for the Club World Cup, City wants to get closer to the table. A victory here would put them ahead of Arsenal on goal differential and into second place. They had lost their previous four Premier League games (D3 L1), but they were able to turn things around with a 2-1 comeback victory over Luton Town. They will be seeking to add three more points here after drawing their last two league games at home against Tottenham and Liverpool. They enter this game fresh off defeating Red Star Belgrade to cap off a flawless Champions League campaign.

Crystal Palace:

Palace, who is seated on the opposite side of the table, is hoping to snap their own losing streak. They have failed to win in their last five games (D1 L4), and they even let Liverpool win 2-1 last weekend despite having the lead. They truly have a terrible record versus City, having won just two of their last 16 games against the Citizens. They have actually only won one of their last nine meetings (D2 L6). However, those two wins did occur at the Etihad.

Starting XI:

MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI (4-2-3-1):

Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Rico Lewis; Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish; Julian Alvarez.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Kalvin Phillips, Manuel Akanji, Sergio Gomez, Matheus Nunes, Stefan Ortega, Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Mahamadou Susoho.

CRYSTAL PALACE STARTING XI (5-4-1):

Dean Henderson; Nathaniel Clyne, Joel Ward, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell; Michael Olise, Jairo Riedewald, Chris Richards, Jeffrey Schlupp; Jean-Philippe Mateta.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Naouirou Ahamada, Matheus Franca, James Tomkins, Eberechi Eze, David Ozoh, Tayo Adaramola, Malcolm Ebiowei, Remi Matthews, Ademola Ola-Adebomi.

Etihad Stadium | Picture Credits: Goal.com

First Half: Grealish's Precision Gives City the Lead

City dominated the first forty-five minutes of play. In spite of Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson's early heroics, Jack Grealish broke the tie in the twenty-fourth minute. Grealish scored a goal that was expertly executed and verified by VAR following a thorough examination. Phil Foden's superb turn set up the goal.

Second Half: Palace's Late Fightback - Mateta Strikes, Penalty Drama Unfolds

Jean-Philippe Mateta unexpectedly restored Palace's hopes in the 76th minute by taking advantage of defensive mistakes and tucking in a precise cross from Jeffrey Schlupp. When Mateta was awarded a penalty following a collision with Foden in stoppage time, the game took an unexpected turn. Tension in the Etihad erupted as Michael Olise coolly converted the penalty, stealing a thrilling late equalizer.

Honors Shared in 2-2 Thriller

When the final whistle rang, the score was tied 2-2, leaving both teams feeling very differently. City settled for a third straight home draw, missing a chance to move up in the standings. However, Palace won a hard-fought point, demonstrating tenacity in the face of City's superiority.

City's attention is now on their matchup with Urawa Reds in the Club World Cup semifinal, while Palace is anticipating a pivotal matchup at home against Brighton. Fans will remember this thrilling match that took place at the Etihad. From the Etihad Stadium, until the next exciting match, this is it. We appreciate you coming, and good bye!

Grealish scored and gave Man City a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Lewis extended Chelsea's lead to 2-0 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Mateta scored and kept Crystal Palace's hope alive | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Olise scored in the penalty and levelled the score | Picture Credits: Premier League Website