Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City: Six Minutes Decided It - Premier League Report
Manchester City won 4-1 at Selhurst Park, and Crystal Palace vs Manchester City turned on a six-minute window: Rayan Cherki scored twice either side of a Gianluigi Donnarumma own goal. City took four goals from just 1.46 xG.
Published 30 Aug 2026Updated 16 Oct 20267 min read
Manchester City won 4-1 at Selhurst Park on Friday evening, and Premier League Round 2 was decided inside a six-minute window after the interval. Crystal Palace vs Manchester City was a 0-1 game at half-time, Erling Haaland's 17th-minute opener the only thing separating the sides. Then, between the 54th and 59th minutes, Rayan Cherki scored twice either side of a Gianluigi Donnarumma own goal, three goals arrived with the ball changing ends, and a match Palace had defended their way into was gone. Haaland's second on 84 bookended the night.
MatchView the live match centreCrystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City: Final Score and Result
Final score: Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City at Selhurst Park (capacity 25,486), kick-off 19:00 UTC on Friday 28 August 2026, Round 2 of the Premier League. Half-time was 0-1; the second half finished 1-3. The territorial story never wavered - City held 72% of the ball, out-shot the hosts 18-9 and hit the target nine times to Palace's one. Palace lined up in a 3-4-2-1, City in a 4-2-3-1.
In isolation, that first half is not the platform for a 4-1. City had 11 shots to Palace's seven and six on target to one, but their expected goals for the half read only 0.85, and the Palace goalkeeper made four saves - every save he would make all evening. Haaland's 17th-minute finish, laid on by Antoine Semenyo, was the one that beat him; the sheet logs a single headed goal for City in the first half, and that was their only goal before the break. Cherki was booked on 33. Palace went in a goal down having conceded 0.85 xG, exactly what the underlying numbers said.
Key Moments and Turning Points
The game broke between the 54th and 59th minutes. Cherki scored on 54, set up by Phil Foden. Elliot Anderson was booked a minute later. On 56, Donnarumma turned the ball into his own net - City's goalkeeper supplying the only goal credited to the home side all night. On 59, before Selhurst Park had resettled, Cherki struck again, this time from Josko Gvardiol's pass. Three goals in six minutes, two ends of the pitch, and a 0-1 match had become 1-3.
The revealing part is that City were not better after the break - they were lethal. Their second half produced seven shots to the first half's 11 and 0.61 xG to 0.85, and yet it brought three goals. City had exactly three shots on target after the interval and all three went in; the Palace goalkeeper did not make another save. At the other end Palace managed two shots, none on target, no corners and 23% of the ball. The turning point was not a change in control. Control never changed. It was a change in what happened at the end of it.
Palace emptied the bench in response, making all five substitutions between the 63rd and 75th minutes, four of them inside seven. Their reward was the woodwork - the sheet credits the hosts with one shot against the frame after the break and none on target. Cherki was withdrawn on 82 with his brace banked, and two minutes later Foden supplied his second assist of the night for Haaland to finish the scoring. Foden ended with two assists, Semenyo and Gvardiol one apiece.
Who Scored in Crystal Palace vs Manchester City?
- 17' - Erling Haaland (assist: Antoine Semenyo), Manchester City - 0-1
- 54' - Rayan Cherki (assist: Phil Foden), Manchester City - 0-2
- 56' - Gianluigi Donnarumma (own goal), credited to Crystal Palace - 1-2
- 59' - Rayan Cherki (assist: Josko Gvardiol), Manchester City - 1-3
- 84' - Erling Haaland (assist: Phil Foden), Manchester City - 1-4
Bookings: Cherki (33') and Anderson (55') for Manchester City, Anan Khalaili (68') for Crystal Palace. No red cards were shown.
Match Stats: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
The headline number is the gap between what Manchester City created and what they took from it. Four goals came from 1.46 expected goals, an over-performance of roughly two and a half goals in one evening. Even measured on shot quality after contact, City's xG on target read 2.46 against four scored. This was a night of finishing, not of overwhelming chance creation: four big chances, 18 shots, and a conversion rate no model forecasts twice.
| Metric | Crystal Palace | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 28% | 72% |
| Total shots | 9 | 18 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 9 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.57 | 1.46 |
| xG on target (xGOT) | 0.04 | 2.46 |
| Big chances | 2 | 4 |
| Corner kicks | 2 | 6 |
| Passes | 82% (234/284) | 93% (721/779) |
| Touches in opposition box | 13 | 33 |
| Duels won | 55 | 52 |
| Clearances | 21 | 11 |
| Interceptions | 14 | 9 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 4 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 2 |
Palace's own line is not that of a team which surrendered. They won more individual duels than City, 55 to 52, made 21 clearances to 11 and 14 interceptions to nine, and completed 22 of 32 tackles. They were caught offside three times to City's none - a side trying to run in behind, not one sitting off. What they could not do was hurt anybody: 13 touches in the opposition box to 33, 0.57 xG, and one shot on target all match, worth 0.04 xGOT, which City's goalkeeper saved. Palace never beat him with a shot. The one ball that went past him, he put there himself.
What This Result Means for the Premier League Table
Manchester City currently sit first in the Premier League on six points from two matches, six scored and two conceded, level on points with Hull and Chelsea and ahead of both on goal difference. Two games is too small a sample to draw a season from, but the profile of this win - away from home, against a low block, converting almost everything on target - is the kind of margin title races turn on.
Crystal Palace currently sit 19th on zero points, inside the relegation zone alongside 18th-placed Coventry and 20th-placed Tottenham, with one goal scored and six conceded. That single goal in the scored column is the Donnarumma own goal from this match - Palace have yet to have a goal of their own making credited to them in the table. Their attacking numbers here, two big chances and 0.57 xG, point at a final ball rather than an absence of effort. The full Premier League table has the current picture.
StandingsSee the full live tableWhere Can I Watch the Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Highlights?
Highlights of the 1-4 at Selhurst Park - all five goals, Cherki's brace and both Haaland finishes - sit on the OneLightScore match page for the fixture, alongside the full incident timeline, per-half statistics and the confirmed line-ups. Broadcast details for this fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing; check the how to watch the Premier League in the US page for rights holders in your country.
Where to watchSee the full watch guideWhen Is Crystal Palace's Next Match and How to Watch It?
Palace's next fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing. When the round is scheduled, kick-off times and country-by-country broadcast details appear on Crystal Palace's upcoming fixtures, and the same page carries the Premier League schedule this week for Manchester City. Both clubs' live scores and next-match TV information update as the round is confirmed.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City FAQs
Who scored in Crystal Palace vs Manchester City?
Erling Haaland scored twice for Manchester City, on 17 and 84 minutes, and Rayan Cherki scored twice, on 54 and 59. Crystal Palace's only goal was an own goal by Gianluigi Donnarumma on 56 minutes. Phil Foden provided two assists, with Antoine Semenyo and Josko Gvardiol supplying one each.
What was the final score of Crystal Palace vs Manchester City?
The final score was Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City at Selhurst Park on Friday 28 August 2026, in Round 2 of the Premier League. Manchester City led 1-0 at half-time through Haaland and won the second half 3-1. City have won both of their opening two Premier League matches.
Where can I watch the Crystal Palace vs Manchester City highlights?
Highlights, the full goal timeline and the complete statistics sheet for this fixture are on the OneLightScore match page linked in this report. The same page carries line-ups, substitutions and per-half statistics, and it updates as further clips and post-match data are published.
What channel was Crystal Palace vs Manchester City on?
Broadcast details for this fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Premier League television rights differ by country and by kick-off slot, so check the OneLightScore Premier League where-to-watch page, which lists the official rights holders for your region.
When is Crystal Palace's next match and how to watch it?
Crystal Palace's next fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Once the next Premier League round is scheduled, the date, kick-off time and available broadcasters will appear on the OneLightScore Premier League fixtures page, which also carries next-match TV information for Manchester City.
Goals, incidents, line-ups, statistics and standings come from OneLightScore match data for Premier League Round 2, 28 August 2026. Expected-goals figures are provider-supplied.