Manchester City pulled off a stunning turnaround on Saturday as they came from two goals down to thrash Crystal Palace 5-2 at the Etihad Stadium, with veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne putting in a vintage display to lift Pep Guardiola’s men back into the top four.
The hosts were reeling after early goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards gave Palace a shock 2-0 lead. But De Bruyne, playing his first home game since announcing he will leave at the end of the season, delivered a statement performance that reminded fans why he’s considered one of the Premier League’s greatest.
“Kevin was incredible today. You could feel the energy, the determination, and his quality — he pulled us out of a very difficult position,” Guardiola told reporters after the match.
De Bruyne pulled one back with a fierce free-kick in the 33rd minute before Omar Marmoush equalised just three minutes later. Mateo Kovacic, James McAtee, and Nico O’Reilly added to the tally in the second half to complete a dominant response from City.
Despite the victory, Guardiola expressed concern over his goalkeeper, Ederson, who was forced off with an injury midway through the second half. “We’ll have to assess Ederson. It didn’t look too good when he went down,” he said.
Palace had started brightly. A brilliant move saw Daniel Munoz set up Ismaila Sarr, whose low cross was tapped in by Eze in the sixth minute. Then in the 21st, Ederson’s failed attempt to punch away a corner allowed Richards to head in from close range.
A third goal for Palace was ruled out by the Premier League’s newly introduced semi-automated offside technology, a decision that momentarily kept City in the game.
Just when it seemed like City were headed for a disappointing result, De Bruyne took charge. His powerful strike from 25 yards hit the post moments before he curled a free-kick past Dean Henderson to halve the deficit.
From there, the momentum swung entirely in City’s favour. De Bruyne played a pivotal role in Marmoush’s equaliser and later assisted Kovacic, whose 20-yard drive gave City the lead for the first time just two minutes into the second half.
McAtee, making his first Premier League start for City, marked the occasion with a composed finish after sprinting onto a long ball from Ederson in the 56th minute. And in the 79th, 20-year-old O’Reilly netted his first league goal with a sweet volley from the edge of the box to seal the win.
Guardiola, who recently said his team had regained their “spirit” after a turbulent season, praised the resilience of his players. “We showed today what we’re capable of when we fight together. There’s still a long way to go, but this gives us hope.”
Although City moved up to fourth, their position remains precarious. Chelsea can leapfrog them if they beat Ipswich on Sunday, and sixth-placed Newcastle, just two points behind, still have two games in hand.
Still, the performance — especially from De Bruyne — will give Guardiola confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.
