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De Bruyne Sparks Man City’s Comeback in 4-2 Win over Crystal Palace

Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the 4-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Britain, 06 April 2024. (EPA)
Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the 4-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Britain, 06 April 2024. (EPA)
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De Bruyne Sparks Man City’s Comeback in 4-2 Win over Crystal Palace

Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the 4-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Britain, 06 April 2024. (EPA)
Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the 4-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Britain, 06 April 2024. (EPA)

A stunning strike by Kevin De Bruyne elicited kisses from the sideline from Pep Guardiola and launched title-chasing Manchester City’s comeback in a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

City’s four-month unbeaten streak in all competitions was placed in jeopardy almost immediately after kickoff at Selhurst Park when Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Palace a third-minute lead with a goal on a breakaway.

In the end, there was nothing for City to worry about.

De Bruyne equalized 10 minutes later and it was one for the season highlight reel as the Belgium playmaker cut inside from the left and curled a right-footed shot from the corner of the area into the top corner of the net.

The excitable Guardiola responded by placing his fingers to his lips and blowing kisses to De Bruyne, and the manager also enjoyed a strike by Rico Lewis two minutes into the second half that put City in front for the first time.

Erling Haaland scored for the first time in four City matches by tapping in De Bruyne’s cross in the 66th for his league-leading 19th goal of the campaign.

De Bruyne sealed City’s impressive recovery in the 70th by ramming home a left-footed shot off Rodri’s layoff for his second goal of the game, taking him to 100 for the club since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015.

"It has been a very untypical season with the injuries and coming back," said De Bruyne, who was injured in the first game of the season and missed the next five months. "Sometimes I feel good, sometimes I feel a little bit off with my body.

"I have tried to prepare myself as best as possible. I try to do the job as good as possible and today I did well."

Substitute Odsonne Edouard grabbed a consolation for Palace.

City joined first-place Liverpool on 70 points ahead of the Reds’ match at fierce rival Manchester United on Sunday. Third-place Arsenal, which plays Brighton later Saturday, is two points back.

"It’s just like every other title race — we have to win every game," Lewis said. "There’s three teams in it and we have to be the strongest team."

City next plays Tuesday at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

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Monfils Beats Fritz to Reach Australian Open's 4th Round at Age 38

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2025 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2025 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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Monfils Beats Fritz to Reach Australian Open's 4th Round at Age 38

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2025 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2025 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Gael Monfils joined Roger Federer as the only man to reach the Australian Open's fourth round at age 38 or older since the tournament field expanded to 128 players in 1988, coming back to beat No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
After punctuating his victory with a 134 mph (215 kph) ace — his 24th of the afternoon, doubling Fritz's total — Monfils did a celebratory dance at the baseline while thousands of fans at Margaret Court Arena roared, many waving red-white-and-blue French flags.
He started his season with a title at a hard-court event in Auckland, New Zealand, which made him the oldest man to win a tournament since at least 1990.
“Just fortunate. But every day is different. We work hard. I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I am a strong believer (in) myself. Strong belief I can do some damage,” said Monfils, who has never been past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open but did reach two major semifinals, most recently at the 2016 US Open. “With a little luck, here we are in the second week of the Australian Open.”
Federer was a slightly older 38 when he got to the semifinals at Melbourne Park in 2020, which turned out to be his last appearance at the tournament.
Monfils next will take on a much-younger opponent, either No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy or No. 21 Ben Shelton of the United States, who are both 22.
Playing his usual brand of charismatic, entertaining tennis in front of a loud crowd Saturday, Monfils compiled an impressive ratio of 58 winners to 34 unforced errors and dropped just one service game. And while Monfils won 11 of the 15 points he finished at the net, Fritz only went 16-for-30 when he pushed forward.
“I've done the job,” Monfils said.
The 27-year-old Fritz, the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the US Open in September, became the highest-seeded man to exit the bracket at Melbourne Park this year. Fritz's right foot was treated by a trainer during the match.
The result ended a 12-match losing streak for Monfils against top-five players at Grand Slam tournaments.
Monfils' wife, Elina Svitolina, was scheduled to play in the same stadium on Saturday night — and also against a fourth-seeded foe, two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini.
“I warmed up the court for her,” Monfils said.