Manchester City fought back from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 4-2 as a hat trick from Erling Haaland secured the impressive comeback win for the reigning champions.
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Palace went 2-0 up in the first half as they scored with their first two chances as a John Stones own goal and a Joachim Andersen header stunned the Etihad Stadium.
City came roaring back in the second half as Bernardo Silva pulled one back, then Erling Haaland scored a hat trick with a clinical display of finishing to prove just how important he is to his new team.
With the win City remain unbeaten and now have 10 points from a possible 12, while Palace are on four points.
What we learned from Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
City making basic defensive errors: They conceded three at Newcastle last weekend and two against Palace on Saturday and they have just been really sloppy. The needless mistakes need to be cut out and Pep Guardiola will probably focus on that after the game. Palace didn’t have a lot of the ball but scoring from their first (and only) two chances isn’t good enough defensively from the reigning champs as they allowed crosses into the box to cause unnecessary chaos.
Peak Haaland drags City to win: A header, tap in and a powerful turn and finish. This was peak Erling Haaland and this is exactly why Manchester City signed him this summer. Just when City needed their new star striker to stand tall he answered that bat call with minimum fuss. He bullied Palace like the honey monster and made the Etihad Stadium seem like his back yard. Haaland did all of this with the help of his slick City teammates but in the past they may have only drawn this game. Haaland’s clinical edge is something they haven’t had since Sergio Aguero left and now it gives them an even bigger boost in their push to win it all.
Palace miss talisman Zaha: Palace somehow found themselves in a 2-0 lead and had they had Wilfried Zaha fit and available, this could have been a very different outcome. Palace just couldn’t keep the ball and were put under constant pressure. They held out until the 53rd minute before City scored but had Zaha been around they would have surely found him up top and he would have taken the pressure off them.
Tactical focus
This was a dominant win for City, in the end. The fact that Palace were 2-0 up early on meant that City had even more of the ball than usual, as Patrick Vieira’s side sat back and tried to hold on to their lead. Good luck with that. City did struggle to create chances in the first half but the rest of the game saw Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva dictate the tempo (City had 75 percent possession) and Erling Haaland was on hand to finish off the chances created for him.
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Stars of the show
Erling Haaland: A brilliant hat trick which showcased exactly how he can score goals of all types. His first of many trebles in a City shirt.
Kevin de Bruyne: Dragged City to the victory as he was relentless in the second half and urged his teammates to pour forward time and time again.
What’s next?
City host Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 31, while Palace host Brentford on Tuesday, Aug. 30
How to watch Manchester City vs Crystal Palace live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10 am ET, SaturdayOnline: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & star players
Three games into his Manchester City career, Haaland has three goals and one assist to his name, with Kevin De Bruyne off to a similarly red-hot start (one goal and three assists). After keeping back-to-back clean sheets to start the season, it was rather shocking to see Man City concede three goals (in a span of 26 minutes, no less), regardless of opponent. Injuries at center back are something of a concern, with Aymeric Laporte expected to miss a few more weeks and Nathan Ake currently battling the groin injury he suffered in the 21 minute against Newcastle. Ruben Dias and John Stones are the last two remaining central defenders at Guardiola’s disposal.
As for Palace, results have steadily improved through three weeks (loss, draw, win) as Patrick Vieira’s side finds its footing and navigates a difficult starting series of fixtures. After Saturday, the Eagles will have already played half of the big-six sides after just four weeks, with tricky challenges against Brentford and Newcastle preceding a visit from Manchester United to round out their first seven games. They’ll be battled-tested and -hardened when the fixtures ease up sometime in October. Wilfried Zaha leads the way with three of the side’s four goals this season, while the youngsters in midfield and defense continue their rapid development against top-level competition.
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: Aymeric Laporte (knee), Benjamin Mendy (suspension - MORE) | QUESTIONABLE: Jack Grealish (knee), Nathan Ake (groin)
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 27, 2022
XI | Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Haaland, Foden
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Gundogan, Alvarez, Gomez, Palmer, Gomes, Lewis, Knight, Wilson-Esbrand#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/vyZoI93fv2
Crystal Palace team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: James McArthur (groin), James Tomkins (undisclosed), Jack Butland (hand), Nathan Ferguson (foot), Wilfried Zaha
Our starting XI is here 👊#CPFC | #MCICRY pic.twitter.com/O2GZJsqJ9i
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 27, 2022
