Manchester City 2-3 Crystal Palace: Townsend scores Goal of the Season contender as Eagles stun champions

WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?

A wonder goal from Andros Townend that would win Goal of the Season most campaigns was one of three Crystal Palace scored at Manchester City to give Liverpool a huge advantage in the Premier League title race.

City had gone ahead through Ilkay Gundogen only for the Eagles to equalise through Jeffrey Schlupp then go ahead thanks to Townsend’s banger and increase their lead via a Luka Milivojevic penalty.

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Pep Guardiola made eight changes from the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Leicester in mid-week but only two from last weekend’s league win over Everton; Fernandinho missed out due to being “not fully fit” whatever that means and Riyad Mahrez dropped to the bench. In came John Stones into a defensive midfield role and Raheem Sterling.

Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero stepped up their comebacks from injury with places on a very strong City bench.

Roy Hodgson meanwhile was forced into two changes for the Eagles with Cheikhou Kouyate and Martin Kelly, both brilliant in a crucial win over Leicester a week ago, missing through injury, replaced by Schlupp and James Tomkins. He also switched out Jordan Ayew for Wilf Zaha who returned from suspension.

The game started exactly how you thought it would considering Palace’s record at the Etihad since getting promoted is 18 conceded, zero scored in five games.

Guaita, making only his second start since his summer move from Getafa, was called into action 90 seconds in to tip of Fabian Delph’s half-volley from distance as the home side started, unsurprisingly, on top. He had to be alert again eight minutes later to block a header on the line as City dominated the early exchanges.

The chances kept on coming. Bernardo Silva played Leroy Sane in behind the defence only for the German to slam into the side-netting when half the stadium though it was in and it looked easier to score while City then had another blocked on the line, this time by Tomkins .

It lasted 23 minutes as Delph’s lofted cross picked out the completely unmarked Gundogen who nodded easily past Guaita bu the man at fault for that made up for it 10 minutes later.

Schlupp had let his man Gundogen drift into space but down the other end he collected a James McArthur pass and drilled an excellent shot into the bottom corner giving Ederson no chance to level things up. not what anyone expected.

And the script was completely torn up five minutes later when Andros Townsend unleashed a Goal of the Season contender by volleying in from the edge of the box into Ederson’s top corner. It was a goal of genuine quality.

Pep Guardiola rolled the dice just after the break, bringing on Augero for Nicolas Otamendi and going to three at the back in a bid to get back into this game against an unsurprisingly defensively minded Palace.

But it didn’t have the desired effect. In fact, the Eagles incredibly went down the other end and added to their lead. Wan-Bissaka’s cross was headed against the post by Townsend and from the rebound Max Meyer got to the ball before Kyle Walker who brought him down for a clear penalty.

Milivojevic converted for his second goal in two games to put Palace and their fans into dreamland and City’s title dreams into serious trouble.

Guardiola went for it, bringing on Kevin de Bruyne and Mahrez and his team tried everything to score, Gundogen nodding wide before also driving one just past the post from distance.

Meanwhile, Tokins and Wan-Bissaka made important blocks in the box as Palace did everything to hold onto their lead and three precious points.

Sane then hit the post with a wicked free-kick that left Guaita beaten all ends up but bounced away for a goal kick and the home fans begun to sense that it just wasn’t their day.

Cit did pull one back with five minutes to go as De Bruyne’s deep cross evaded Guaita and floated in at the back post to inject some life into the home fans – those that hadn’t gone home already.

But it wasn’t to be and Palace’s Christmas miracle came true to leave them well clear of the drop and City four points behind Liverpool at the top of the table.