Hello and welcome to
Sports Mole's live coverage of the match in the Premier League between
Crystal Palace and
Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side have made the trip to Selhurst Park with the chance to regain their advantage in the title race, but Palace have not lost in their last two outings against City. The two teams are making their way out onto the pitch so let's see who features in each starting lineup...
CRYSTAL PALACE XI: Guaita; Wan-Bissaka, Kelly, Dann, Van Aanholt; McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp; Townsend, Benteke, Zaha
CRYSTAL PALACE SUBSTITUTES: Hennessey, Ward, Kouyate, Meyer, Sako, Ayew, Batshuayi
MANCHESTER CITY XI: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Gundogan, D.Silva; Sterling, Aguero, Sane
MANCHESTER CITY SUBSTITUTES: Muric, Danilo, Otamendi, Stones, B.Silva, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus
KICKOFF: City get us underway!
The visitors have started on the front foot at Selhurst Park. A low cross from the right finds Aguero, but the forward cannot get the ball under control.
SHOT! Palace have 10 men behind the ball when City are in possession, but they are looking to counter fast when a move breaks down. This attack ended with Milivojevic getting a shot away from distance, but the strike is never threatening Ederson's goal.
City go straight back on the offensive and quickly win a corner, but nothing comes the resulting set piece. It has been a bright start from both sides.
Gundogan has replaced the injured Fernandinho in the holding role, but the German is still getting forward. On this occasion, an attempted through-ball is too strong for Sterling.
CHANCE! City should be ahead. David Silva gets past McArthur far too easily and is able to set up Sterling who is waiting at the back post. However, the winger scuffs a six-yard effort wide of the near post.
Palace are being outclassed right now. The balance isn't there when it comes to defending and being ready to counter. City could coast this if they net an early goal.
The home side get a breather when Zaha buys a foul out of Sterling, and it is moments like that which are going to be crucial in this contest. Palace need to find ways to break City's rhythm.
GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (RAHEEM STERLING) GOAL! City open the scoring and it is a marvellous goal. De Bruyne threads a through-ball into the path of Sterling, who holds off the attention of a defender before finding the far top corner from an acute angle. What a finish.
The confidence of the visitors is only going to get higher after that goal. They really are just going through the motions at the moment.
We are going to have a break in play while Schlupp and Sterling receive treatment for knocks picked up in separate incidents. Both players should be fine to continue.
Maybe they won't. Schlupp has been helped off the pitch after a collision with Kompany. A replacement will be introduced when the ball next goes out of play.
SUBSTITUTION! Kouyate is the player to be sent on by Hodgson.
City go back on the attack, and David Silva continues to have a major influence on this contest. A low ball into the box is intended for Sane, but a defender gets across to clear the danger.
Wan-Bissaka has earned rave reviews this season, but the youngster is really struggling to cope with the movement of Silva and the pace of Sane. It's all City.
SHOT! Aguero has been kept relatively quiet despite City's dominance, but the Argentine goes close here as he sends a shot on the turn marginally over the crossbar.
Better from Palace who get the ball into the box for Benteke, with the Belgian winning the aerial battle. However, the forward's knockdown does not go to a Palace teammate and City are able to clear.
SHOT! Sane goes on one of his mazy runs down the left-hand side of the penalty area, and it ends with a fierce strike being parried behind by Guaita at the near post.
The Palace fans have witnessed their side remain second best since kickoff, but they are still backing their side. They know that it only takes one moment to change this contest.
That said, it is important that Palace do not concede a second before the break. City remain vulnerable with a one-goal advantage, but it is difficult to see Palace altering the course of this game from two behind behind.
De Bruyne provided his first Premier League assist of the season earlier in this match, but the Belgian has just sent a cross from the right straight out of play. He is human after all.
City are still on the front foot, but chances are not being created as frequently as Guardiola would like. De Bruyne has just been left frustrated by Aguero failing to move towards his inviting low cross.
Van Aanholt should have few issues with dealing with a cross to the back post, but the left-back somehow manages to head the ball onto the roof of his own net. Guaita was worried for a moment. Nothing came from the corner.
How have City not doubled their advantage? A floated pass from Gundogan causes all kinds of confusion in front of goal, and a goalmouth scramble ends with the ball being deflected just wide of the post.
There will be two minutes of added-on time.
HALF TIME: Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City
The half-time whistle goes at Selhurst Park and City lead thanks to Sterling's early goal. The visitors have not created too many clear-cut opportunities, but they have dominated the opening 45 minutes.
It will come as no surprise to you that City have the better statistics from that first half, but
click here to see a full rundown of their performance.
Here's a quick reminder of both benches...
CRYSTAL PALACE SUBSTITUTES: Hennessey, Ward, Meyer, Sako, Ayew, Batshuayi
MANCHESTER CITY SUBSTITUTES: Muric, Danilo, Otamendi, Stones, B.Silva, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus
KICKOFF: Palace get us back underway.
CLOSE! City almost double their advantage. De Bruyne's low inswinging pass into the danger area takes a deflection off Dann, but Guaita reacts well to ensure that the defender does not put through his own net.
The visitors are yet to get anywhere near their top gear this afternoon, but Palace look petrified each time that City plough forward. De Bruyne is becoming increasingly influential.
It will be interesting to see how long Hodgson waits before introducing Batshuayi. Benteke is having his moments when battling Kompany for aerial balls, but he has not provided a threat.
Palace are putting City under more pressure in the middle of the park, but it's effectively working in their opponents' favour. Guardiola is also demanding a quicker tempo.
Something else which City are doing particularly well is restricting the opportunities for Zaha to stretch his legs down the left. The winger has barely had an impact in this game.
Sane is perhaps fortunate to win a corner out of Townsend by the corner flag, but Palace are able to deal with the danger.
City are knocking on the door for this second goal. Sterling beats the offside trap and sends a threatening cross into the area, but Palace just about survive.
SHOT! There is not a lot coming back from Palace at this stage. It surely cannot be long before Hodgson reacts on the bench. Gundogan fires harmlessly over the bar from 25 yards.
GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY (RAHEEM STERLING) GOAL! Game over? Most probably. Sane's shot - or maybe a pass - across the penalty area finds Sterling around six yards out, and the winger's scuffed strike finds the far corner of the net.
SUBSTITUTION! City make their first change of the contest as Bernardo Silva replaces David Silva.
Palace have offered a little more since going further behind, but City are able to deal with the danger offered from a corner.
The home side are definitely having more joy going forward, but it is partly because City have dropped that little bit deeper.
SHOT! A cross from the right finds Benteke on the edge of the area, but the forward can only send a tame volley towards goal with Ederson able to make an easy save.
SHOT! Another half-chance goes Palace's way as Dann is found at the back post from a corner, but the centre-back heads harmlessly over the crossbar.
SHOT! City are ready to counter in numbers as soon as Palace commit too men forward. They did so here with Sane leading the attack, but the German's eventual shot from 20 yards is too close to Guaita.
SUBSTITUTION! Guardiola makes a second change as Gabriel Jesus replaces Aguero.
SUBSTITUTION! Palace's second switch sees Meyer replace Townsend. The change came after Gundogan had sent another effort high over the crossbar.
City are going through the motions now. It won't be long before Guardiola moves to make his final alteration.
Palace come to life through Zaha and Meyer, and the latter manages to gain a foul out of Gundogan on the edge of the area. Chance here...
GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY (LUKA MILIVOJEVIC)
GOAL! Palace are back in it! Milivojevic's free kick from 20 yards is not the best he has ever struck, but it goes through the wall and finds the bottom corner! Game on.
Guardiola is furious on the touchline and it appears that Stones will soon be entering the action. Palace really fancy this now.
SUBSTITUTION! Palace's final alteration sees Sako come on for McArthur.
SUBSTITUTION! Stones replaces Sane, so that should lead to a change in formation. City have had more of the ball over the past two minutes.
City manage to win a corner and as expected, they play it short. It eats up some seconds and leaves Palace away from the area where they need to be.
GOAL! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY (GABRIEL JESUS)
GOAL! It is definitely game over now. City break forward through De Bruyne and the Belgian has a teammate to both his right and left. The playmaker goes to his left where Gabriel Jesus is waiting, and the Brazilian fires confidently inside the near post from 12 yards.
There will be three minutes of added-on time.
FULL TIME: Crystal Palace 1-3 Manchester City
The full-time whistle goes at Selhurst Park and City have registered a 3-1 victory over Palace. The visitors deserve maximum points from this contest, but Guardiola will be unhappy with how his side gave Palace encouragement during the closing stages. Nevertheless, City return to the top of the standings ahead of Liverpool's game with Chelsea.
That will be all from
Sports Mole for this match. Thank you for joining us this afternoon and we hope that you can stick around for the encounter from Anfield, which begins in a little over 20 minutes.
If you would like to read our on-the-whistle match report, you can do so by clicking here. Goodbye for now.