MANCHESTER: David Silva came to the rescue of a striker-less Manchester City with two goals in a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace that drew them level on points with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League on Saturday.

Silva eased an increasingly tense atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium when he broke the deadlock shortly after half-time and put an efficient victory to bed with his second goal shortly afterwards. Yaya Toure emphatically smashed home a late third.

The victory moved City level on 39 points with Chelsea, who face Stoke City on Monday, and added spice to a title race that only recently had looked to be a one-horse race.

Chelsea top the league thanks to a superior goal difference of 23 to City’s 22.

Champions City, who lined up without a recognised centre forward, had trailed Chelsea by eight points in November, but have cranked into gear heading into the busy festive period, taking 22 points from a possible 24 in their last eight games.

Palace, who were resilient opponents until City took the lead and had what looked a good goal chalked off for offside when trailing 2-0, are one point above the relegation zone.

City were missing Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic due to injury and manager Manuel Pellegrini deployed England midfielder James Milner as an auxiliary striker.

City goalkeeper Joe Hart signed a new five-year contract on Friday and he was quickly called into action, producing a sharp point-blank save to repel Mile Jedinak’s header.

Yannick Bolasie then set up Fraizer Campbell to lash a close-range overhead kick narrowly wide of Hart’s goal, but gradually City began to pick their way through Palace’s defences.

Toure shot over twice, Samir Nasri teed up Silva to prod wide, and Pablo Zabaleta scooped a shot just off target from Toure’s piercing through-ball.

The breakthrough arrived four minutes into the second half. From Fernandinho’s pass, Zabaleta scuttled into the area before cutting the ball back for Silva whose left-foot shot took a deflection off Palace defender Scott Dann and went past Julian Speroni.

Silva claimed his second goal in the 61st minute, neatly steering home at the near post from Aleksandar Kolarov’s left-wing centre.

James McArthur thought he had replied for Palace moments later when he headed Bolasie’s cross past a statuesque Hart, but although Fernandinho appeared to have played him onside, the assistant referee’s flag went up.

Toure swept in City’s third with 10 minutes remaining, collecting a square pass from Milner and slamming home left-footed at the near post.

Published in Dawn December 21th , 2014