Crystal Palace suffered a heavy 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City on Friday, leaving them bottom of the Premier League. The loss, reported by apnews.com, means the Eagles have zero points from their opening two matches of the season.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring with a header in the 17th minute, reminding everyone why he was last season's top scorer. City's new French midfielder Rayan Cherki then took over, netting two goals in a five-minute burst to secure his first Premier League brace. Cherki later said his performance was a direct response to being substituted in a previous match. "When I see Enzo Maresca wanted to change me I didn't like that, so I had to show him I wanted to play and wanted to score," he explained.
How did Crystal Palace respond?
Crystal Palace showed more fight than in their first game, but they struggled to test City's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Their lone goal came from a moment of fortune, as Yeremy Pino's free-kick struck the crossbar and bounced in off Donnarumma. Midfielder Adam Wharton acknowledged the team's effort but identified a clear shortcoming. "I thought we had good moments but we didn't test their keeper enough, like we should have," Wharton said.
The team is still adapting to the methods of new head coach Pierre Sage, who took charge in June. This process is complicated by the absence of key players, with defender Chadi Riad and winger Ismaïla Sarr currently sidelined, as listed on our injuries page. Their return will be important for shoring up a defence that has conceded six goals already.
What is Crystal Palace's league position?
The defeat leaves Crystal Palace in a concerning 19th place. They have zero points, having lost both of their opening fixtures, with a goal difference of minus five. They are already six points behind the early leaders, Manchester City. You can track their progress throughout the season on our standings page.
What comes next for the Eagles?
Attention now turns to halting this poor start. The next opportunity comes quickly with an away trip to face Fulham on September 5th. Fulham currently sit 16th, making it a key early-season fixture for both sides. A positive result there is important before the international break. The full schedule of upcoming challenges is available on our fixtures page.
Pierre Sage will need to find solutions quickly to improve both defensive solidity and attacking threat. With just one goal scored so far, turning possession into clear chances remains a primary task. The team's early form puts pressure on the new manager, but the players believe more time working together will yield better performances.
