The English Premier League’s 2024-25 title race has tightened to a stunning climax, after Manchester City secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday that cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to just two points with only two matches remaining for City.
With a grueling fixture schedule stretching into the final weeks of the season, Pep Guardiola made the call to rotate his squad heavily, making six changes from the starting 11 that defeated Brentford 3-0 over the weekend. Star striker Erling Haaland and dynamic winger Jeremy Doku both started the match on the bench, while Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner also made several adjustments to his own lineup ahead of his side’s upcoming UEFA Conference League final. Despite the rotated squad, City never looked troubled on a damp evening in Manchester, taking firm control of the contest before halftime with two quick goals and adding a third late on to cap the win.
The opening goal arrived in the 32nd minute, crafted by Phil Foden’s exquisite backheel pass that put Antoine Semenyo in on goal. Semenyo finished calmly, slotting the ball past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson into the far corner to break the deadlock. Eight minutes later, Foden was once again the architect, setting up Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush to score his third Premier League goal of the season, putting City 2-0 up going into the halftime break. The second half was a largely uneventful affair, though defender John Stones – who is set to leave the club at the end of the campaign – received a raucous standing ovation from the Etihad crowd when he came on as a late substitute. Minutes after Stones’ introduction, the match’s final goal arrived: young French midfielder Rayan Cherki carried the ball from his own half to set up Savinho, who finished cleanly past Henderson to put City three goals up.
The result leaves City on 77 points, two points behind leaders Arsenal, but Guardiola’s side hold a narrow advantage in goal difference of plus one, having scored seven more goals across the campaign than the Gunners. The title race has swung dramatically over the past fortnight: City had clawed back ground to put themselves in pole position, but a costly 3-3 draw at Everton last weekend restored Arsenal’s comfortable lead. Just two days before City’s match against Palace, Arsenal survived a late scare to beat West Ham 1-0, after a stoppage-time equalizer for the Hammers was ruled out following a lengthy VAR check, keeping the Gunners in the driving seat.
City now turn their attention to a major cup test this weekend, as they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, targeting a domestic cup double having already won the League Cup earlier this season. Defending his decision to rotate heavily against Palace, Guardiola emphasized the need for squad depth in a congested fixture list, saying: “When the schedule is so tight, everybody is fit, everybody needs to help.”
Despite City’s win, Arsenal remain overwhelming favorites to claim their first Premier League title since 2004. If Mikel Arteta’s side beat already-relegated Burnley next Monday, City will need to take all three points against Champions League-chasing Bournemouth the following day to keep their title hopes alive. The final matchday of the season falls on May 24, when Arsenal travel to face Crystal Palace, while City – who currently hold a 14-match unbeaten run in league play – host Aston Villa at home.
Speaking after the final whistle, Foden insisted City will not give up their title bid, noting that anything can happen in the final stretch of the campaign. “It’s a team game at the end of the day. If you want to win titles and trophies it’s about a full squad and everyone playing their part,” Foden told Sky Sports. “The aim is to keep pushing and keep them on their toes. We’ve seen a lot of things can happen on the final day. I’ve experienced it many times when the game doesn’t go your way. We just have to keep pushing and doing our part.”
For Crystal Palace, all focus now shifts to their first major European final, as they prepare to face Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig on May 27. The match will be Glasner’s final game in charge of the south London club.