CRYSTAL PALACE 0 MANCHESTER CITY 2
Manchester City - Dzeko 4', Toure 43'
Man of the match - Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
LONDON // Manchester City took charge of the Premier League title race as Edin Dzeko and Yaya Toure scored first-half goals to secure a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
A couple of hours after Liverpool lost 2-0 at home to Chelsea, Dzeko and Toure scored first-half goals as City cut their deficit to the league leaders to three points with one game in hand.
If they win their three remaining matches and keep their superior goal difference, City will be crowned champions.
“It was a happy day and it was very important for us,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. “Before today, we were depending on other teams.
“Now we continue as we were two weeks ago, depending only on what we do. But it’s not finished, we have to play three games more. We will see in the future who will be the best.”
City will play at Everton on Saturday and could have knocked Liverpool off their perch on goal difference when the Anfield club play at Palace next Monday.
“It was very important not to be thinking about the result of Chelsea versus Liverpool,” Pellegrini said. “We just needed to concentrate on ourselves, and the players did it in a very professional way, knowing that if we beat Crystal Palace we would have our future in our hands.”
Having recovered from a thigh injury, Toure made a spectacular return to competition in a stellar man-of-the-match display, setting up Dzeko’s opener in the fourth minute with a precise cross that the striker headed home.
The powerful Ivory Coast midfielder then started and concluded a superb collective move two minutes before half time with a curling effort.
Toure has scored 19 league goals this season and his return is a massive boost to City’s ambitions.
“To be honest, we were looking a little bit at the Liverpool versus Chelsea game,” Toure said. “It was a tricky game, but we did well. We have just three games left and we want to focus on winning those.”
After Liverpool’s earlier slip-up, City players got off to the best possible start at Selhurst Park as the returning Toure crossed for Dzeko, who jumped between two defenders and headed past Julian Speroni from close range to open the scoring.
Undeterred by the goal and having secured their top-flight status last weekend, Palace put on an attacking display as Yannick Bolasie created danger on both flanks and Cameron Jerome caused havoc in City’s central defence.
Palace’s first real chance came in the 18th minute when Jason Puncheon tried his luck from the edge of the box but his effort was too weak for City keeper Joe Hart.
Still, Pellegrini’s team looked in control and City captain Vincent Kompany had a superb chance to double the title contenders’ lead a few minutes later, but his powerful header from close range from Samir Nasri’s corner ended just wide.
Toure then turned from provider to scorer two minutes before the interval by finishing off a superb move he initiated on the halfway line. He played a one-two with Dzeko then passed the ball to Nasri, with the Frenchman putting it back into his path before Toure imposed his physical strength in the area and slotted home.
“I don’t think the players played at their maximum today,” said Tony Pulis, the Palace manager. “And the Chelsea result before the game gave City a massive boost. The players should not worry about that too much.”
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