PREMIER LEAGUE : CRYSTAL PALACE VS MANCHESTER CITY – 28/08/2026

WHAT AN EXCEPTIONALLY EXCITING 90 MINS. OF FOOTBALL THIS WAS LAST NIGHT! MAN CITY WERE ON TIPPETY-TOP FORM, AND CRYSTAL PALACE PUT ON A FEISTY PERFORMANCE, BUT SEEMINGLY MAY NEED TO GEL A BIT MORE, AFTER LOSING A COUPLE OF THEIR TOP PLAYERS. 

MAN CITY MADE 761 PASSES, WITH A 93% PASS ACCURACY, (HAD 72% POSSESSION), AND 17 SHOTS WITH 9 ON-TARGET, INCLUDING 2 BRACES FROM ERLING HAALAND AT 17 MINS. AND 84 MINS. RESPECTIVELY, AND RAYAN CHERKI AT 54 MINS. AND 59 MINS. (ERLING HAALAND’S FIRST GOAL WAS A SORT OF ‘BACKWARDS-HEADER’ WHERE HE JUMPED UP AND HEADED IT OFF THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WITH PRECISION – JUST GLANCING AROUND AFTERWARDS TO CHECK IT WAS GOING INTO GOAL! (THE JURY’S OUT ON WHETHER HIS PONY TAIL WOULD HAVE GOT IN THE WAY OF THAT ONE!😊)  AND CHERKI’S OVERALL PLAY AND GOALS WERE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN SO SUPERB THAT HE WON MAN OF THE MATCH!

CRYSTAL PALACE MADE 259 PASSES WITH AN 83% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 7 SHOTS WITH 1 ON-TARGET, WHICH ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE  A SKILFUL FREE-KICK FROM YEREMY PINO,  BUT WHICH BOUNCED OFF DONNARUMMA’S BACK FIRST BEFORE GOING INTO GOAL (THEREBY GOING DOWN AS AN OWN GOAL.)

SO, AFTER 90 MINS. ALL THE EXCITEMENT ENDED IN A 4 – 1 WIN TO MAN CITY, AND A HAPPY HAALAND, ON THE REALISATION THAT HIS SHORT HAIRCUT COULD BE EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN HIS LONG HAIR! (AND ELLIOT ANDERSON SEEMINGLY AGREEING – PICTURED!)

PREMIER LEAGUE – CRYSTAL PALACE VS MANCHESTER CITY – 28/08/2026

ENZO MARESCA SPEAKS AFTER THE MATCH