Manchester City 5 Crystal Palace 0
Man City: Silva (2'), Kompany (49'), De Bruyne (59'), Sterling (82'), Otamendi (90'+2)
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Pep Guardiola was turning on the charm. It was last summer, the day of his unveiling and in what seemed a mischievous piece of scheduling, his first competitive game was due to be against Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland. He proclaimed he was looking forward to it.
In the event, Allardyce’s appointment as England manager delayed their meeting for nine months. Guardiola’s antithesis certainly did not prove his nemesis. Opposites experienced contrasting fortunes. Guardiola’s biggest league victory as Manchester City manager also proved to be Allardyce’s heaviest defeat in charge of Crystal Palace.
A rout was begun by men who predate Manuel Pellegrini, let alone Guardiola. David Silva and Vincent Kompany, pillars of their 21st-century rise, scored the first two goals.
The next two came from men Guardiola is charged with improving. Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling scoring, while the Belgian set up Nicolas Otamendi for the injury-time fifth.
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There was the sense of past and present combining profitably and productively, suggesting City’s future will involve Uefa Champions League football.
“It’s in our hands,” Guardiola said, while indicating he will cheer on Manchester United in the Europa League. “It will be amazing to have five English teams in the Champions League next season.”
Another quintet occupied City’s attention. It was an occasion to suit Guardiola’s ethos as the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero proved a footnote. City sourced five goals from other departments, none from their strikers, even if there was a rarity value in seeing both centre-backs score.
“We gifted Vincent Kompany a goal, of all people,” Allardyce said, a little ungraciously.
De Bruyne was ubiquitous, extending his lead in two of the individual charts. His centres for Kompany and Otamendi took him to 15 assists in the Premier League. A free kick that rattled the bar meant he hit the woodwork for the ninth time. “Kevin makes a record number of posts,” Guardiola said.
Along the way, he scored for just the fifth, with a 20-yard drive. Jesus was his supplier, but the most unusual element was that the diminutive Silva had regained possession by winning a header. He had already left a mark on the occasion. “I am so happy he finally scored a goal,” Guardiola said.
A comparative shortage makes Silva a player for the connoisseur. He may be City’s greatest ever footballer but it took him almost seven years to record 50 goals. He is more prolific for country than club, but the half-century was brought up with evidence of his technical mastery and Palace’s problems.
Allardyce’s side featured four men who are full-backs by trade. An absence of fit central defenders explained an unconventional set-up, but it came at a cost. When Martin Kelly found himself in an unusual position and headed the ball lamely to the Spaniard. Silva’s finish was more adept, volleyed beyond Wayne Hennessey.
But the score stayed the same for 47 minutes, a period when Willy Caballero made a superb save from Christian Benteke, so Kompany’s goal had a certain significance.
“Vincent helps us with his presence in the box,” said Guardiola; indeed while the captain has become a cornerstone of the defence again, he illustrated his ability in in both boxes. He scored at Southampton with a header. His second of the season came courtesy of an emphatic finish with his right foot, whipped into the top corner after De Bruyne found him.
A regular refrain of Guardiola’s is that City are not clinical enough. This time they were.
Sterling’s first goal since February was a low half-volley. Palace could have conceded more with Hennessey making a string of saves from Leroy Sane.
“We capitulated,” Allardyce accepted. “All five goals could have been avoided.”
Allardyce had performed a mid-match tactical switch, going from four at the back to five, but an injury-hit group lacked the spirit and resolve they showed when winning at Chelsea and Liverpool.
“For a long time we were the clean-sheet masters,” Allardyce said. Not on Saturday.
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