January 17 2021

Roy Hodgson

Crystal Palace were well beaten in a 4-0 defeat away to Manchester City.

The Eagles, who were without star man Wilfried Zaha, spent virtually the whole game camped in their own half.

However, it needed brilliant pieces of skill from City to unlock their well-organised defensive unit to claim all three points.

Kevin de Bruyne's pin-point cross from the right was met by John Stones who headed in the first goal after 26 minutes.

Ilkay Gundogan doubled the lead in the 56th minute by firing into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Stones got his second of the night after the ball rebounded to the centre half from a corner on 68 minutes.

Two minutes from time, Raheem Sterling superbly curled in a free-kick to make it 4-0 to compound Palace's misery.

Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Sterling, Gundogan (Torres 71), Jesus, Zinchenko, De Bruyne (Cancelo 71), Silva (Foden 60), Fernandinho.

Not used: Steffen, Rodri, Mendy, Mahrez, Delap, Doyle.

Palace: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Mitchell, Townsend (Batshuayi 79) McCarthy, Milivojevic (Riedewald 69), McArthur, Eze, Ayew.

Not used: Butland, Clyne, Van Aanholt, Dann, Benteke.