Recap

City’s Clinical Edge Sees Off Stubborn Palace at Selhurst — Haaland and Foden Seal 3-0 Win

• Manchester City produced a professional, momentum-maintaining performance to beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park, with Erling Haaland scoring twice (including a late penalty) and Phil Foden adding a fine second-half strike to complete the scoring.

Match overview and significance

• City’s 3-0 victory moved them back to within two points of the Premier League summit and extended their winning run to four league matches, a result that preserved pressure on the table leaders.
• The win continued Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten run against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and reinforced Manchester City’s status as the form side in December despite a game in which Palace carried significant threat at times.

First half: Palace threatening but wasteful; Haaland strikes

• Crystal Palace began with intent and had the game’s best early opening when Yéremy Pino stretched City’s defence and forced an effort that beat Gianluigi Donnarumma but hit the crossbar, signaling that Palace would make City work for control.
• Palace’s attacking intent continued to create problems; they fashioned clear chances and intermittently pressed City high, but their finishing let them down and they could not turn pressure into goals before the interval.
• Manchester City’s breakthrough came when Erling Haaland found the net to give the visitors the lead, a crucial moment that changed the dynamic at Selhurst and allowed City to manage phases of the match from in front.

Second half: Foden doubles advantage, late penalty finishes scoreline

• Phil Foden put City two goals clear in the second half with a composed long-range finish into the bottom corner, a strike that both punished Palace’s occasional defensive lapses and underlined Foden’s excellent form this season.
• Despite Palace’s continued enterprising play — including moments where Adam Wharton tested the woodwork with a shot that struck the post — they were unable to convert numerical pressure into a goal, leaving them exposed on transition.
• Late in the match, Savinho’s searing breakaway forced a foul in the box, awarding City a penalty which Haaland dispatched coolly to make it 3-0 and seal the result for the visitors.

Key performers

• Erling Haaland — clinical and decisive: Haaland scored twice (including the penalty) and finished the game as City’s talisman, continuing his reliable goalscoring return against Palace and adding a crucial late touch to secure victory.
• Phil Foden — form and quality: Foden’s second-half long-range finish gave City breathing room and was emblematic of his fine scoring form this season, producing a high-quality strike at a pivotal moment.
• Gianluigi Donnarumma — composed under pressure: Though beaten by Palace’s early volley off the crossbar and busier than on some away days, Donnarumma’s interventions and presence helped City see out tense moments.
• Crystal Palace attackers (Pino, Mateta, Savinho) — dangerous but unfortunate: Palace crafted notable openings — including Pino’s early half-volley and Wharton’s post-strike — and Savinho’s late run preceded the penalty that finished the match’s scoring; their finishing and decision-making ultimately proved the difference.

Tactical themes and turning points

• Palace’s pressing and transition threat created genuine problems and meant the match never felt entirely one-way, but a combination of profligacy in front of goal and unerring execution from City’s top attackers decided the contest.
• City’s ability to defend in numbers and strike efficiently from moments of calm allowed them to control the scoreboard; once Haaland and Foden had scored, Palace were forced into taking more risks, which opened opportunities for City on the break.
• The penalty won by Savinho on a late counter-attack was both a microcosm of Palace’s attacking bravery and the game’s decisive moment — it turned a competitive fixture into a three-goal defeat for the hosts.

Statistical and season context

• The 3-0 result was Manchester City’s fourth consecutive league victory, helping them close to within two points of the top of the Premier League and maintaining pressure on the leaders.
• Erling Haaland’s successful penalty added to his growing goal tally for the campaign, highlighting his continued importance to City’s title challenge.
• Despite the scoreline, several match summaries and highlight reels described the game as tighter than the score suggested — Palace had multiple chances and posed persistent problems, illustrating that the outcome was as much down to finishing as domination.

Managerial perspectives and aftermath

• Pep Guardiola will likely view the win as evidence of his side’s composure in a tricky away fixture and a demonstration of City’s ability to grind out results even when not at their most fluent.
• Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace will take encouragement from the quality of chances created and the team’s willingness to attack; their focus after the match will center on improving the final ball and finishing that might have turned this into a very different scoreboard scenario.

What the highlights showed

• Match highlights captured the defining moments: Pino’s early effort that struck the bar, Haaland’s opening goal, Foden’s long-range strike to make it 2-0, and Haaland’s composed penalty to complete the scoreline, while also repeatedly showing Palace’s bright but ultimately fruitless attacking play.

Bottom line

• Manchester City left Selhurst Park with a 3-0 victory that combined clinical finishing from their star names with a disciplined defensive display; Crystal Palace will be frustrated by missed chances and what might have been had their finishing been sharper, but there were plenty of encouraging signs to build on.