That’s all from me. Congratulations to Manchester City for a very professional victory. Thanks for reading and for your emails. Roll on Arsenal v Burnley on Monday and Bournemouth v Manchester City on Tuesday!
Phil Foden, who is awarded as player of the match, speaks to Sky Sports:
double quotation mark For the first assist, I scanned a few times before I received the ball. Ant [Semenyo] made a good run. Sometimes you try things and they come off, it’s good to take risks.
For the second assist, I saw the defender coming across. just tried to help it into Omar’s [Marmoush] I did mean it, but it was a bit scruffy.
I had a good start to the season but dropped off in the second half. couldn’t find my way back into the team. These are such good players, that can happen. But I’m feeling good, it’s a team game and I’m pleased that we got the win.
Oh my word. Late, late goals in the Scottish title race, as Celtic score an injury-time winner to pile the pressure on Hearts!
Full-time results: Hearts 3-0 Falkirk Motherwell 2-3 Celtic
And Celtic host Hearts this Saturday in the final game of the season!
This is the Premier League table, following City’s victory.
City have done what they needed to do. They are two points behind Arsenal with two games remaining!
90+5 min: Palace make a late break, with Kamada shooting into the arm of John Stones inside City’s box. the referee waves play on.
90+4 min: Cherki is taking the mick now. Twice he is surrounded by Palace players but still emerges with the ball from the tightest of spaces.
90+2 min: Savinho pulls up, I think with cramp. In fairness, it must have been a while since he completed 90+ minutes in the Premier League. City have no substitutions left but Savinho is going to be OK to continue.
90 min: Five minutes added on here.
88 min: City are beginning to enjoy themselves here. Cherki and Savinho with the flicks and the tricks. Arsenal fans, it’s time to go to bed. Show’s over.
86 min: That’s the game, then. But now City also have a superior goal difference to Arsenal. That could well be a factor come the end of the season.
Cherki with a superb assist inside the full-back to release Savinho, who curls an R2 finish into the far corner. But the assist is the thing to admire here, just a perfectly weighted pass into Savinho’s path.
82 min: City make more changes. a huge cheers go up around the stadium, both for the first player departing and for the player coming on. John Stones replaces Phil Foden, who looked genuinely back to his best this evening. Stones is leaving City at the end of the season, remember.
Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Cherki are also on, with Omar Marmoush and Bernardo Silva withdrawn.
80 min: Donnarumma. seemingly bored of this cakewalk for City, passes the ball straight to Kamada, who bursts into the area. Kamada hits the deck in the City penalty area. looks hopefully towards the referee … but is booked for diving! The Japanese protests but replays show it was blatant simulation.
77 min: Semenyo, operating as a centre-forward, plays a nice one-two with Savinho. can’t find Doku on the edge of Palace’s box. Wharton makes a beat interception.
74 min: That is Johnson’s last involvement. it’s been another poor evening for the former Nottingham Forest winger, who is still yet to score for Palace since his move from Tottenham. Kamada comes on.
72 min: Guardiola looks very upset on the touchline. I think he can sense that the game is drifting somewhat. City have ceded control of the second half and Palace are edging their way back into it. Johnson wins a corner for the visitors but then floats a dreadful set-piece straight into the hands of Donnarumma. No pace on the delivery.
70 min: Sarr is working really hard up and down this right wing for Palace. He is getting forward well but also tracking back to double up on Doku, when City have the ball.
68 min: Wharton has already made a difference for Palace since coming on. the midfielder sends a delicious trivela through ball over the top for Johnson. The Palace winger, though, makes a pig’s ear of things, miscontrolling the ball. then punting a cross straight over Donnarumma’s crossbar. Eeeeesh.
65 min: “I agree that neither of the kits on display are classics,” emails Tim Smith. “If you want to see a beauty, check out the Scottish Premier livestream. Motherwell FC is celebrating its 140 th anniversary in a green kit (to my eyes, petrol blue in official verbiage). Clean, simple, and no shirt sponsor makes it a knockout.”
63 min: Bernardo Silva uncharacteristically gives the ball away to Sarr! The Palace substitute bears down on goal, but drags a weak shot straight at Donnarumma!
62 min: Bernado Silva is playing centre-back now. I’m completely lost now.
60 min: Palace respond with three changes of their own. Jorgen Strand Larsen on for Jean-Philippe Mateta, Adam Wharton replaces Will Hughes in midfield. Ismaïla Sarr on for Pino, who has had a poor night.
58 min: City make a couple of early changes. Gvardiol off for Doku, Aké on for Nunes.
I think that means Khusanov will shirt to right back and Aké will come into central defence. Doku to his regular position on the left flank,. it looks like Aït-Nouri is going to drop into that hybrid role that Gvardiola was playing.
56 min: Bernardo Silva is bossing things, as per. Just the last player you want to chase around when City are sitting pretty on a 2-0 lead.
54 min: Signs of life from Palace, who are finally enjoying a bit of possession. Hughes wiggles free on the edge of City’s box, feeds Lerma,. the Colombian takes a heavy touch when a better one would have set up a shooting opportunity.
52 min: Savinho skins Canvot with a lovely bit of skill before Mitchell comes crashing late into City’s Brazilian. Yellow card for Palace’s left wing-back.
49 min: It’s true. Palace should be wary of sleepwalking their way through the rest of the Premier League season. They can’t seriously expect to turn it on in the Conference League final if they spend the next two-and-a-half matches getting battered. Not only will Palace need to retain some sort of form. many of their players will also be sweating over their World Cup places.
47 min: “I’m having a hard time figuring out. is the case: Is the City attack brilliant?” asks Kári Tulinius. “If so, why has Pep persisted with a worse front three all season. Or is the Palace defence just awful? Then maybe the Oberbürgmeister of Freiburg should start drawing up the parade route.”
We are underway again at the sodden Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, in Scotland …
This is the live Premier League table. City will be two points shy of Arsenal with an identical goal difference if it finishes 2-0 here.
This is the first time that Foden has provided two assists in the same Premier League game since December 2023.
45 min: One minute added on. It’s worth flagging that with those two goals, City are now level on goal difference with Arsenal.
44 min: City so nearly add a third. Once again, it is Foden at the heart of things, crossing for Gvardiol. The Croatian rises at the far post, nods back across goal powerfully. It looks a certain goal before Henderson springs to this right and somehow palms it wide! Remarkable save! Gvardiol was wheeling away.
42 min: Foden is purring, there is a real spring in his step now. Amazing what a bit of confidence can do.
“Wrong way on the prayer wheel. Charles, the other way, the other way,” quips Justin Kavanagh, “and don’t set the house on fire with those candles.”
Another Foden assist! Aït-Nouri lofts a ball over the top to Foden, who checks his mirrors. hooks a first-time pass square to Marmoush. The Egyptian lets the ball run across his body before swivelling. finishing past Henderson and the retreating Palace bodies on the line!
37 min: As kits go. neither the home City shirt (with the sash) nor this gold away number from Palace is one for the ages.
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