Silva shines as striker-less City wins to draw level with Chelsea
Print Edition
DAVID Silva filled in for Manchester City’s absent strikers as the champion beat Crystal Palace 3-0 yesterday to move level on points with English Premier League leader Chelsea.
City was missing Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic due to injury, but it secured an eighth consecutive victory in all competitions thanks to Silva’s second-half brace and a late Yaya Toure strike.
Both clubs have 39 points, but City has played one more game than Chelsea, which travels to Stoke City tomorrow. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea tops the league thanks to a superior goal difference of 23 to City’s 22.
City had trailed Chelsea by eight points in November, but has cranked into gear heading into the busy festive period, taking 22 points from a possible 24 in its last eight games.
Palace, meanwhile, is one point above the relegation zone.
Faced with an injury glut in the attacking department, City manager Manuel Pellegrini deployed England midfielder James Milner as an auxiliary striker at the Etihad Stadium.
City goalkeeper Joe Hart signed a new five-year contract on Friday and he was quickly called into action, producing a sharp point-blank save to repel Mile Jedinak’s header.
Yannick Bolasie then set up Fraizer Campbell to lash a close-range overhead kick narrowly wide of Hart’s goal, but gradually City began to pick its way through Palace’s defenses.
Piercing through-ball
Toure shot over twice, Samir Nasri teed up Silva to prod wide, and Pablo Zabaleta scooped a shot just off target from Toure’s piercing through-ball.
The breakthrough arrived four minutes into the second half. From Fernandinho’s pass, Zabaleta scuttled into the area before cutting the ball back for Silva, who beat goalkeeper Julian Speroni with the aid of a deflection off Scott Dann.
Silva claimed his second goal in the 61st minute, neatly steering home at the near post from Aleksandar Kolarov’s left-wing center.
James McArthur thought he had replied for Palace moments later when he headed Bolasie’s cross past a statuesque Hart, but although Fernandinho appeared to have played him onside, the assistant referee’s flag went up.
Toure made the game safe for City in the 81st, collecting a square pass from Milner and slamming home left-footed at the near post.
Later yesterday, third-place Manchester United would be attempting to close to within five points of the summit when it visits Aston Villa.
Fourth-place West Ham United was hosting bottom club Leicester City, while fifth-place Southampton was looking to end a run of five straight defeats in all competitions when it hosted Everton.
The weekend’s stand-out fixture sees misfiring Liverpool hosting sixth-place Arsenal today.
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