Manchester City produced a remarkable turnaround at the Etihad Stadium, coming from two goals down to defeat Crystal Palace 5-2 and leap into the Premier League’s top four. It was a dramatic afternoon in Manchester, with Pep Guardiola’s side showing resilience and attacking flair to overturn a nightmare start.
Palace stunned the home crowd early on, racing into a two-goal lead through Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards. Eze looked to have added a sensational third, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside — a moment that proved pivotal. That narrow reprieve sparked City into life, and from there, they took complete control.
Kevin De Bruyne started the fightback with a superb free-kick, curling the ball past Dean Henderson to halve the deficit. Moments later, Omar Marmoush struck a fierce equaliser, finishing clinically to level the game before the break. City emerged from the dressing room with renewed intent, and it took just 77 seconds of the second half for Mateo Kovacic to give them the lead.
James McAtee, making his first Premier League start for the club, added a fourth to cap a composed performance, and the rout was completed when fellow academy graduate Nico O’Reilly’s volley was deflected in — his first goal in the English top flight.
The defeat will frustrate Palace boss Oliver Glasner, especially given how strong his side looked in the early stages and their previously unbeaten record away from home in 2025. Missing captain Marc Guehi, they ultimately struggled to cope with City’s relentless pressure once the momentum shifted. The FA Cup may now represent Palace’s best hope of silverware, and with a possible final clash against City still on the cards, revenge could yet be on the horizon.
For Guardiola and his players, this latest win keeps their upward trajectory intact. City now sit just two points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest and appear to be hitting top form at just the right time in the run-in.
