Manchester City kept their Premier League title defense alive on Wednesday evening, easing past a hard-working Crystal Palace side with a routine 3-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.
First-half strikes from Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush—both cleverly engineered by Phil Foden—put the hosts in cruise control before Savinho added a late third.
The crucial three points move the reigning champions within two points of league leaders Arsenal, with just two matches remaining for both fierce title contenders.
Despite the clinical victory, manager Pep Guardiola admitted that the trophy remains firmly in the hands of Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners.
“All we can do is stay alive and hope for an Arsenal slip-up,” Guardiola confessed, acknowledging that City must perfectly navigate their remaining fixtures.
Should Arsenal defeat relegated Burnley on Monday, City must overcome a Champions League-chasing Bournemouth outfit the following evening to prevent a premature North London coronation.
The relentless City boss has immediately shifted his tactical focus to Saturday’s highly anticipated FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Chasing a prestigious domestic cup double following their League Cup triumph earlier this season, the Citizens are highly motivated to break a curse.
Having suffered painful defeats in the last two FA Cup finals, Guardiola demanded absolute mental and physical readiness to conquer a unpredictable Chelsea side.
