Crystal Palace fell to an eventual 4-1 defeat in Pierre Sage’s first game at Selhurst Park despite a spirited showing against Manchester City.
Yéremy Pino’s fantastic free-kick lit up the second-half, but was sandwiched by two goals from City's Rayan Cherki that ultimately gave the visitors the win, with Erling Haaland also getting a brace.
Sage made three changes to the team beaten at Everton last Saturday, with first competitive starts for Anan Khalaili, Takehiro Tomiyasu and a return to the starting XI for World Cup winner Yéremy Pino.
In their resplendent Eagle Sash kit, the hosts nearly made a rapid start when Eddie Nketiah twisted and turned after latching onto a sublime Adam Wharton pass – forcing a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Daichi Kamada was next to find an opening, with Ruben Dias deflecting his shot over. With three minutes barely on the clock, Palace were showing they were in the mood.
Noise from all four corners of Selhurst was creating a cracking night atmosphere, that seemed to give the contest an extra edge in the early stages.
City did soon have their own sight of goal, skipper Dean Henderson denying Elliot Anderson with a fine save, before ensuring the resultant scramble thankfully didn’t find the net.
The visitors gave the Eagles room to exploit numerous times in the opening 15 minutes, with Pino and – on his home debut – Anan Khalaili both going close to getting behind the defence down the right wing.
Yet they also always carried a threat going forward, which Palace paid for in the 17th minute. The goal came from a familiar source, Erling Haaland managing to elude Chris Richards and steer home a header.
They could have made it two not long after. Anderson fed Phil Foden with a clever pass, only for the England international to blaze over.
After a spell of City control, Palace showed that they very much in the contest with two big chances.
First, Strand Larsen headed a Pino cross wide. Then Mitchell repeated the trick barely a minute later, after Wharton delivered a dream cross from the right.
But the Eagles were growing into it, Chris Richards next to get into a good position only to fail to connect properly with his header, meaning City went in 1-0 up at the break despite Palace’s probing.
A golden chance to get level arrived just four minutes after half-time, Mitchell pulling the ball back for Nketiah who managed a connection, only for the ball to skew wide of Donnarumma’s goal.
Palace’s missed opportunity would be punished almost immediately. Foden drove forward to find Cherki who managed to wriggle free of challenges in the penalty area before flicking the ball into the far corner.
Immediately though Palace counter-punched and got back in it. Awarded a free-kick 25 yards out from goal, Pino bent a superb shot into the top corner, with the ball bouncing off the bar, but then back off Donnarumma and into the goal.
At that point Selhurst was bouncing, only for City to again change the mood. Cherki again managed to find a pocket of space before hitting a shot that deflected wickedly – Henderson given no chance of keeping it out – and the visitors had their two-goal restored.
Sage threw on Zavier Gozo for his first Palace appearance, as well as giving Dwight McNeil a home debut with just over 20 minutes to play.
Evann Guessand was also on at this stage and the trio gave the Eagles a fresh approach against an experienced City backline, which included Marc Guéhi making his return to SE25.
Axel Disasi and Óscar Mingueza also made their debuts as late substitutes – despite the latter having to wait an age before the referee allowed him to enter the field of play – but by that point the game had got away from Palace.
It was left to Haaland to wrap it up in the closing stages, slamming home from a tight angle
The Eagles return to action a week tomorrow with the short trip over the other side of the Thames to face Fulham at Craven Cottage, before a Carabao Cup tie against Middlesbrough three days later.
Palace: Henderson (GK), Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu (Disasi, 74), Khalaili (Mingueza, 75), Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell, Pino (Gozo, 68), Nketiah (McNeil, 68), Strand Larsen (Guessand, 63).
Subs: Benítez (GK), Muñoz, Hughes, Lerma.
Man City: Donnarumma (GK), Khusanov (Reis, 89), Dias, Gvardiol (Kovačić, 75), O’Reilly (Braithwaite, 89), Anderson (Bouaddi, 82), Guéhi, Foden, Cherki (McAidoo, 82), Semenyo, Haaland.
Subs: Rulli (GK), Aït-Nouri, Echeverri, Lewis.
