Man City rout Crystal Palace to boost Champions League chances

Manchester City strengthened their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish and moved up to third in the table thanks to a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi scored the goals to secure City a win that leaves them four points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United and ahead of fourth-placed Liverpool on goal difference.

City needed just two minutes to open the scoring, with Silva capitalising on a poor Martin Kelly header following Sterling's cross, volleying home into the bottom corner for his 50th goal for the club.

While the hosts continued to dominate, their next real clear-cut chance did not arrive until just after the half-hour mark when Leroy Sane had a strike from the edge of the box palmed away by Wayne Hennessey before Sterling then saw his effort cleared off the line by Patrick van Aanholt.

But City were soon at it again when Sane was denied by Hennessey once more after being played in by De Bruyne, before Palace then created their first chance of the game moments later, with Christian Benteke getting on the end of an Andros Townsend cross only to be denied by a save from Willy Caballero.

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Another good opportunity fell Palace's way towards the end of the first half when a loose ball deflected into the path of the unmarked Van Aanholt inside the City box, but the left-back blazed his effort over the bar.

Three minutes into the second half and City found themselves two up thanks to a stunning strike from Kompany, who arrowed a first-time hit into the top corner of the net after being picked out by De Bruyne.

And De Bruyne was involved again five minutes later with his well-taken free kick flying over the Palace wall before bouncing off the crossbar.

De Bruyne did manage to find the back of the net with his next effort, slotting into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after being teed up by Gabriel Jesus to make it three for City on the hour-mark.

And Sterling added a fourth for the hosts eight minutes from time when he rifled home Pablo Zabaleta's cushioned header into the bottom corner, leaving Hennessey with no chance.

Otamendi then netted City's fifth of the day deep into stoppage time, arriving to meet De Bruyne's set piece before heading home.