Manchester City demolished Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium to cement their second-place finish in the Premier League. A dominant display saw goals from Semenyo, Marmoush, and Savinho secure a comfortable victory.
Manchester City arrived at the Etihad with second place secured and 74 points from 35 matches. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, occupied 14th position with 44 points and little left to play for in the season. City's recent form showed four wins in their last five games, while Palace struggled with just one win in their previous five outings.
City wasted little time asserting their dominance. The hosts controlled possession from the opening whistle, keeping Palace pinned back with their relentless passing and movement. Palace's defensive line faced constant pressure as City's attacking players probed for openings.
The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Alexander Semenyo fired home to give City the lead. The goal sparked City's attacking play into another gear. Within eight minutes, Omar Marmoush doubled the advantage with a clinical finish in the 40th minute, sending City into halftime with complete control.
Palace offered little resistance in the opening period. Their passing accuracy sat at 77 percent compared to City's 89 percent. The visitors managed just two shots on target across the entire first half, while City registered four.
The second half saw City maintain their stranglehold on the match. Palace made tactical adjustments but struggled to create meaningful chances. City's midfield, led by Phil Foden's influential display, controlled the tempo throughout.
Foden proved instrumental in City's dominance, recording two assists while maintaining a match rating of 9.0. The midfielder created five key passes and completed 89 percent of his attempted passes. His performance epitomized City's control.
Palace picked up two yellow cards as frustration grew. Tyrick Mitchell received a caution in the 52nd minute, while Daichi Kamada was booked in the 81st minute. Neither team faced red card situations despite the physical nature of play.
Savinho added the third goal in the 84th minute, putting the result beyond doubt. The substitute had made an immediate impact after entering the pitch. City's attacking depth proved too much for Palace's tiring defense.
The statistics told the story of City's superiority. City completed 716 passes with 89 percent accuracy, while Palace managed 275 passes at 77 percent. City's expected goals figure of 1.43 exceeded Palace's 0.65, reflecting their attacking dominance.
City's goalkeeper made two saves to Palace's one. City's 14 total shots dwarfed Palace's five attempts. The possession battle ended 72-28 in City's favor, showcasing their complete control.
This victory solidified City's second-place finish in the Premier League standings. The comfortable win demonstrated City's quality despite their inability to catch the league leaders. Palace's defeat confirmed their mid-table status with one match remaining in the season.
