Pep Guardiola sends Phil Foden message as Man City make title race statement

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Manchester City moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 3-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon

Pep Guardiola gives instructions to his Manchester City players during their 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

City player ratings

Manchester City secured an impressive 3-0 away win against Crystal Palace, which kept them within two points of the Premier League leaders. Erling Haaland was the standout performer, scoring two goals and receiving the highest player rating of 9/10, while Phil Foden also impressed with a goal and an 8/10 rating. Read full story here>>>

Guardiola brings Foden down to Earth

Despite Foden scoring a goal in the 3-0 victory, manager Pep Guardiola was openly critical of the player's overall performance, stating he "lost a lot of balls" and was too "anxious." Guardiola stressed Foden, while defensively strong and lethal near the box, has a significant "margin to improve" in understanding the game's tempo and decision-making. Read full story here>>>

Foden names 'most important thing'

Foden identified "patience" as the most critical factor in City's victory over a tough Palace side. He explained after struggling initially by trying to attack too quickly, the team found success by showing more control and playing with greater passing accuracy in the second half. Read full story here>>>

Guardiola gives verdict on title hopes

Guardiola was pleased with the team's professional 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, calling it a "big statement" for the title race. However, he admitted the recent match against Real Madrid gave him "a lot of signals" that the team is still "not ready" in terms of how to approach important games. Read full story here>>>

City reactions spoke volumes

The victory over Palace highlighted City's improved mental strength, a quality emphasised by assistant coach Kolo Toure. Rayan Cherki and Haaland both showed resilience - Cherki responded to opposition jeers with excellent play that led to a goal, and Haaland converted a late penalty, silencing fans who had mocked him. Read full story here>>>

Why Doku was not involved

Jeremy Doku was not included in the squad for the Palace match due to a leg injury he sustained following the recent win over Real Madrid. Guardiola commented that while they will miss Doku's individual quality, he has confidence in other players to step up during injury setbacks. Read full story here>>>