Manchester City came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 5-2

Manchester City came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 5-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Here’s a breakdown of the match:

Match Highlights

Early Setback: Crystal Palace took the lead with goals from Eberechi Eze in the 8th minute and Chris Richards in the 21st minute. Eze had another goal ruled out for offside, which would have given Palace a 3-0 lead.
City’s Fightback: Manchester City rallied well to turn the game around. Kevin De Bruyne scored a trademark free-kick in the 33rd minute, and Omar Marmoush lashed in a quickfire second soon after in the 36th minute.
Taking the Lead: Mateo Kovacic scored 77 seconds after the restart to put City ahead, followed by James McAtee’s goal in the 56th minute. Nico O’Reilly sealed the win with his first Premier League goal in the 79th minute.

Kevin De Bruyne: The Belgian midfielder was instrumental in City’s comeback, scoring a crucial free-kick and assisting goals for Marmoush and Kovacic. His influence on the game was immense, and he was rewarded with a deafening ovation from the Etihad crowd when he came off late in the game.
James McAtee: The young striker scored his first Premier League goal for City and showed great skill and composure in evading the Palace goalkeeper’s challenge.

Pep Guardiola: The City manager praised his team’s response after being 2-0 down, saying they played really well throughout the game. He highlighted De Bruyne’s performance, saying he’s “the Kevin we have known for many years.”
Kevin De Bruyne: The City skipper expressed his desire to win the Champions League with the team, saying they’ve been in the competition for the past nine or ten years, and he hopes to do it for the team next year.¹