Man City 3 Palace 0: Has this put the pressure back on Arsenal? Is the Foden magic back?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsMan City vs. Crystal Palace UpdatesMan Utd Executives Back CarrickCarlo Ancelotti ExclusiveArsenal's Nine-Defining DaysPL Title Race City players celebrate opening the scoring at the Etihad Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images Share articleIf it is to be Arsenal’s year to claim a first Premier League title in 22 years, then they will not seal it at the Emirates next Monday after Manchester City eased to victory over Crystal Palace. Had Pep Guardiola’s side slipped up at a subdued Etihad, then Arsenal and Mikel Arteta could have won the title with victory over Burnley on Monday. As it is, should City also beat Bournemouth next Tuesday, then the title will go down to the final day. Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush in the 3-0 victory over Palace mean City are two points behind Arsenal with two games to play, one ahead on goal difference, and seven ahead on goals scored, which could prove crucial if the title goes down to the final day. City also have the small matter of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday to keep them busy. Sam Lee breaks down the talking points from the Etihad. It is inevitably, and wholly correct, that the watching world saw this match as part of a title race, because of course it is, but the vibe around the stadium and certainly in Guardiola’s lineup suggested that City believe the game is up and that Arsenal will win their final two matches. Everything seemed to hinge on Arsenal’s result at West Ham on Sunday and, after their dramatic victory, it is clear that Guardiola shifted his attention towards the FA Cup final, partly due to the huge importance of the game itself and partly because there is a slim chance of Arsenal slipping up now. They have to face already relegated Burnley and a presumably much-changed Palace side, who will play the Conference League final three days after the final day of the domestic season, and with the Chelsea game looming, it makes sense to prioritise that silverware. If Mikel Arteta’s side had tougher fixtures to come, you could bet that Guardiola would have fielded a much stronger line-up tonight. Of course, the fact that City won this game does mean that they are still ready and waiting if there is an unexpected slip-up. The trip to Bournemouth next Tuesday, three days after the cup final, is a very tricky test, of course, but if they win that, then the title race will go to the final day, and some hope may be rekindled. So, yes, few around the Etihad seem to believe the title is possible, but while there is football to be played, there is always some chance, even if remote. Thomas Tuchel seemed to sum up the Foden situation well following the most recent round of international fixtures. “He came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training,” the England manager said. “And I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.” That has been the case with Foden for a while. In January, he looked completely inhibited, as if the ball was going to explode if he went near it, and perhaps it is no surprise that Guardiola has not leant on him too much of late. Phil Foden with a backheel assist 😮‍💨✨ Antoine Semenyo finishes it off to give Manchester City the lead over Crystal Palace 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9KqOR2rCBj — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 13, 2026 But the 25-year-old looked very bright when asked to play in a challenging, deep-lying midfield role off the bench against Brentford on Saturday and that is what he was asked to do from the off against Palace. It was in the final third, though, where he sparkled. The backheel for Semenyo’s opener was inspired, the kind of thing we would expect to see from maverick Rayan Cherki. It is hard to tell if he meant the touch for Marmoush’s second, though he may have, and there was a delightful ball into the box for Josko Gvardiol, whose header was denied by a wonderful Dean Henderson save. Foden looked bright and brave throughout and, with the cup final coming up on Saturday, there is a chance that he has played his way back into Guardiola’s lineup just before it is too late. It has been a feature of the season that Guardiola has a certain group that he will turn to again and again, although ironically the group has changed slightly. Before Christmas, for example, he repeatedly turned to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, but due to their injuries, Abdukodir Khusanov and January signing Marc Guehi have become the go-to pairing. Guardiola’s thinking has meant that players like Foden, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez have barely got a look in of late — ironically, again, Foden and Gonzalez were in the preferred group until the New Year. Gonzalez was not even in the squad here, with no official reason was given. He could leave the club this summer, though, and that would be no surprise considering he has only played once in recent weeks despite Rodri missing out with injury. It was supposed that only Rodri’s impressive form was keeping his countryman out of the frame, but Guardiola clearly has his doubts. It would be no surprise if Marmoush were on the market, either, because he has found himself in the position of having to wait for Erling Haaland, who plays almost all the time, not to play. Savinho did not make Brazil’s provisional 55-man squad for the World Cup, a sign of how much he has struggled this season, and he perhaps did better overall than fellow goalscorer Semenyo, who was at least back in the goals after a dry spell and patch of bad form generally. Gvardiol looked good on his return after more than four months out and there was a 10-minute run-out for John Stones, who was honoured before kick-off with a banner depicting his goal-line clearance against Liverpool in 2019 which, in its own way, played a part in City winning the title that year. Saturday, May 16: Chelsea, FA Cup final (Wembley), 3pm UK, 10am ET Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms