Premier League 2025-26: Haaland braces as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace

Manchester City kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, thanks to Erling Haaland’s double and Phil Foden’s fine finish.

Palace created the better chances in the first half, with Yeremy Pino being the best of the bunch, hitting the crossbar with the goal that begged after being played in by Adam Wharton.

City had little to offer other than Foden testing goalkeeper Dean Henderson from a free-kick, before Haaland met Matheus Nunes’ inviting cross with an unstoppable header in the 41st minute from his first sight of the goal.

Palace pressed for an equalizer and Wharton went close within three minutes of the restart, beating keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low effort that flopped off the post.

But Foden decided the game with 20 minutes to go, firing from the edge of the penalty area past Henderson for his sixth goal in his last five games.

Haaland then confirmed the inevitable when he converted an 89th-minute penalty after Henderson brought down Savinho, ignoring the taunts from Palace fans over the penalty he gave to Omar Marmoush in May’s FA Cup final.

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City’s victory, their fourth straight victory in the competition, leaves them second with 34 points from sixteen games, two behind Arsenal. Palace is fifth with 26 points.

Sunday’s match was the first between Palace and City since the FA Cup final, when the Manchester side failed to convert chances and the Eagles’ early goal was enough for a famous victory.

The tables were turned on Sunday as Palace posed the biggest threat before half-time but failed to make their superiority pay for themselves, with Haaland needing just one chance.

Pino slotted over the top of the bar with only Donnarumma to beat, and Ismaila Sarr almost found Jean-Philippe Mateta as the hosts made the early run-up.

But City showed a glimpse of his class when Foden curled a free-kick around the wall, which Henderson saved at full stretch, prompting chants of ‘England number one’ as national coach Thomas Tuchel looked on. Haaland was kept quiet until he broke the deadlock with a clinical header, putting City ahead at half-time, thanks in large part to Palace’s profligacy.

As the home side chased an equalizer they left gaps at the back, and Foden capitalized by doubling the lead in the 69th minute with a low finish.

Haaland made it 3-0 20 minutes later, sending Henderson the wrong way from the spot for his 17th league goal in 16 games, in front of the home fans who had happily wondered: «Where were you at Wembley?»

Published on December 14, 2025