For Crystal Palace, it felt like a moment of déjà-vu. On May
5th last year, a Tuesday night, they came from three goals down
versus title-chasing Liverpool, scoring three goals in 11 minutes to claim a
hitherto unlikely 3-3 draw.
That stalemate saw Liverpool surrender the title-hunt
driving seat to Manchester City who seized the chance and were crowned
Champions at the end of the season.
Fast forward to April 6th, on a Monday night,
Crystal Palace was at it again, this time Manchester City – the team they did a
favor to last season – being on the receiving end.
For much of the opening half, the defending champions hunted
around the Palace danger area. With every pass they conjured together, they got
closer to getting behind the often stubborn, diligent and hard to break home
team defence.
It was all looking good for Manuel Pellegrini’s men despite
having a passenger in the name of Jesus Navas who for the umpteenth time couldn’t
find a blue shirt with his crosses. You have to wonder why the Chilean boss
keeps playing him ahead of more deserving players like Samir Nasri and James
Milner.
Football’s unfairness can bite even the least harmless and
Crystal Palace who had barely had a sniff of Joe Hart’s goal bit Manchester
City when it looked least likely. Four Palace players were involved in the build
up; Joel Ward, Joe Ledley, Scott Dan and Glenn Murray all touched the ball as
it moved swiftly towards Hart, every touch of every man hinting offside.
Murray was the last to touch the ball, the 31-year-old Englishman
planting the ball home for the hosts to take the lead in the 34th
minute despite vociferous protest from City led by captain Vincent Kompany. Referee
Michael Oliver would hear none of it and allowed the goal to stand.
Jason Puncheon had troubled the Citizens’ defence on
occasions that The Eagles went forward. He got rewarded just three minutes
after the interval when his curling left-foot freekick beat the City wall and
landed in the back of the net with Hart chasing to no success.
Puncheon’s free kick was worth winning any game. It was as
well as feather in the cap of a matchday in which the Premier League witnessed
some mesmerizing goals. The visitors created chances, Murray was lucky to escape
with a handball inside the penalty area while Toure almost reproduced Puncheon’s
stunning free kick which went just over.
However, with 12 minutes to go, Yaya Toure pulled one back
for the visitors to set up a tense finale. It was a customary Yaya Toure goal
with power, pace and direction behind it, Sergio Aguero deflecting it in but it
would be almost disastrous to deny the Ivorian the goal.
That’s the best it got for City with Pardew’s men hanging on
for the full points.
When Pardew took over at Selhurst Park, Palace were 18th
but after conquering the English Champions on Monday night, they moved to 11th, just 3 points shy
of the top half.
The defeat for City left them 4th on the log, two
points behind Arsenal in second place and 9 adrift of leaders Chelsea who also
have a game in hand.
It seems like for the second season in a row, the dream for
the Premier League title has once again been shattered at Selhurst Park.
And That’s thesteifmastertake!!
