Manchester City roar back to sink Crystal Palace
Manchester City pulled off a brilliant comeback today Saturday, April 12, 2025, beating Crystal Palace 5–2 at the Etihad Stadium after going 2–0 down in the first 21 minutes.
Crystal Palace came out strong with early goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards, shocking the home crowd. But it didn’t take long for Kevin De Bruyne to take control of the game.
The Belgian midfielder curled in a free-kick to bring City back into the game. He followed up with two assists, playing a key role in goals by Mateo Kovacic, James McAtee, and Nico O’Reilly. City’s fifth came late in the match, capping a dominant second-half display.
The match also saw the debut of semi-automated offside technology in the Premier League. It ruled out a second goal by Eze that could have made it 3–0 for Palace.
This win takes Manchester City to fourth place, moving them ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle in the race for Champions League qualification. Manager Pep Guardiola praised De Bruyne’s performance and leadership, especially after returning from injury.
The result also ended Crystal Palace’s eight-game unbeaten run. They had been looking solid under new boss Oliver Glasner, but City’s firepower was too much to handle.
With just weeks left in the season, City look ready to fight for a top-four finish and De Bruyne is clearly not done yet.
