Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have been subject of a lot of criticism over the international break because they lost their second game of the campaign against Wolverhampton Wanderers the last time out. Tonight though, Pep’s inventive 4-3-3 formation worked wonders against Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace side. Having started the game with no established centre-halves, they went on to a comfortable victory. With that said though, it has to be admitted that if it wasn’t for Ederson in goal, the scoreline might have been a different story.
Here are the Manchester City player ratings from what was a straightforward encounter for the Citizens:
Ederson Moraes – 9
Played like a brick wall between the sticks today, making some absolutely mind-numbing saves. If it wasn’t for him, Manchester City could’ve been looking at back-to-back losses in the league.
Joao Cancelo – 7
The man recently acquired from Juventus was on song throughout the tie as his bombarding runs down the left flank were one of the features of City’s overall play.
Fernandinho – 7
The Brazilian midfield commander must be the ultimate utility player as he operated in the main central defender’s role on the night. Despite having John Stones on the bench, Pep preferred to use the midfielder.
Rodri – 7
The Spaniard looked like he’s been playing at centre-half all his life. He has shown himself in an excellent light since making a move over the summer. His ability on the ball make him a good option across midfield as well.
Benjamin Mendy – 6
Adept at going forward but tends to lose possession by misplacing simple passes and being careless while on the ball. His forward runs were impressive as usual.
Bernardo Silva – 8
Arguably the most naturally gifted player in the City ranks, the Portuguese international has been sensational since joining from Monaco. His ability to move the opposition around with his passing is quite an asset to have.
Ilkay Gundogan – 7
The German international midfielder was in deft touch right from the opening knockings of the tie and even controlled the pace of the game for long periods of time.
Kevin De Bruyne – 8
The Belgian was in destructive mood as he went on an absolute chance creation rampage in the 2nd half. Despite creating multiple scoring chances, nobody was able to profit, and he even went on to hit the post himself.
David Silva – 9
Easily the classiest player on the pitch, you’d have to explain to someone new to football that this is, in fact, a 33-year-old man. Unbelievably smart with his passing and movement, the Spanish veteran took his goal superbly well.
Gabriel Jesus – 8
Certainly not his best-ever performance in a City shirt, but he showed great desire and willingness to chase down even lost causes, meaning that at the end of the day, he deserved his goal.
Raheem Sterling – 7
The Englishman could’ve had a hat-trick had he performed nearly as well as his usual self. Despite this, his ball into David Silva for City’s 2nd was a marvellous sight indeed.
Substitutes
John Stones (80’) – NA
Didn’t have the time to make an impact.
Phil Foden (89’) – NA
Didn’t have the time to make an impact.
