WALES keeper Wayne Hennessey endured another nightmare as Manchester City made it a winning treble against the currently grounded Eagles.
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| Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring in the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace |
The next time the 28-year-old Palace stopper faces his big pal Joe Hart it will be in the June heat of Lens in the much anticipated European Championship finals clash.
Yesterday in the bitter cold of the Etihad Hennessey literally froze to set City on the path to a much needed victory – their third this season against the men from Selhurst Park.
At Villa Park on Tuesday night the 54 capped Welshman allowed a Joleon Lescott header to squirm through his arms to gift Aston Villa only their second Premier League win of the season.
Sadly like London buses another gaffe quickly followed to leave Alan Pardew’s side with an uphill fight against a team determined to make sure there was no repeat of their midweek no goal show against Everton.
One man’s grief is often another man’s fortune. Enter Fabian Delph to enjoy his second league goal for the club he joined in the summer.
David Silva played the ball back to the former Aston Villa man who took aim from 25 yards, an unspectacular strike which should have produced a routine save only for Hennessey to see the ball dip under his body.
Pardew admitted: “I need to see a reaction from him in training because he needed to respond to the mistake at Villa only to make another mistake.”
It was a cruel blow for his side who should have taken the lead in the second minute, a Damien Delaney header from point blank range being brilliantly pushed away by Hart.
Pardew once labelled Manuel Pellegrini an old so and so in a frenzied touch line rant.
With sleet and snow sweeping across the Etihad the 62-year-old Manchester City boss could have been excused for being wrapped up at home in front of a roaring fire.
The same goes for City fan Frank Bowyer who celebrated his 100th birthday with a special presentation in one of the stands.
Whether both see the club land another title at the end of the season is still open to question but one thing’s for certain if Sergio Aguero stays fit they have a better chance.
Aguero is as dangerous as a coiled up cobra, ready to strike and spit his venom when an opportunity arises in the opposition penalty area.
Two more calm trademark finishes means the little Argentinian has nine goals in the last 15 games.
There was also a selfless assist for Silva before being taken off to a standing ovation once another demolition job had been completed.
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| Aguero slotting the ball past a helpless Wayne Hennessey |
The goals came either side of the break, the first a shot which glanced off Scott Dann’s head, the second a simple side footed finish following some precision passing involving Yaya Toure, who had been called off the substitutes bench, and Kevin de Bruyne.
Palace who missed the creative quick running talents of the injured Yannick Bolasie, leaked a fourth goal when Aguero raced past the unfortunate Joel Ward on the half way line with the away side stretched and fed Silva for the easiest of finishes.
That made it 33 League goals for City at the Etihad but just 10 have come on their travels – food for thought.
But Pellegrini said: “It was very important to score the first goal. We know then we are going to have more space. Our team is used to playing with eight or nine players behind the ball. With space we are more dangerous.”
For Palace these are worrying times, no goals in five games and just two points plus a keeper on the rack.
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov (Clichy 52); Fernando, Delph; De Bruyne, Iheanacho (Toure 57), Silva; Aguero (Navas 85).
Crystal Palace: Hennessey; Ward; Dann, Delaney, Souare; Ledley, Cabaye, McArthur (Mutch 80); Puncheon, Wickham (Chamakh 66), Zaha.
Referee: J. Moss.
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero. On his day simply the best striker in the Premier League.
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