The victory – City’s 27th in the league this season – ensured Pep Guardiola’s side maintained the advantage in the title race with City two points behind leaders Liverpool but armed with a precious game in hand as the season enters the final furlong.
But, arguably even more impressive than the manner of another crucial three-point haul, were yet another phalanx of notable City milestones chalked up in the course of the win in South London.
In what is emerging as the most compelling title races in several years, City’s prowess in the numbers game could yet prove decisive come the end of the season.
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Not surprisingly, leading the way is our man-of-the-moment Raheem Sterling who was the architect of the win at Selhurst Park thanks to his superb two-goal salvo.
By almost universal acclimation, Sterling has enjoyed his finest season to date, and he is many pundits’ tip to be voted PFA Player of the Year – the latest being Sky’s Graeme Souness.
And a quick glance at the stats further bear out Sterling’s incredible contribution to the City collective cause.
His brace at Palace took his tally of Premier League goals for the season to 17 with Raheem scoring 21 times in all competitions..
Such has been Sterling’s impact in the league both this season and last, he has been directly involved in 54 Premier League goals in 62 appearances since the start of the 2017/18 campaign.
The three-goal salvo at Palace was also notable in that it took City past the 150 goals threshold for the season, another stand-out statistic from the campaign.
To put that achievement into context, the next highest scorers from Europe’s other major leagues are Paris St Germain who, to date, have amassed 131 goals across all competitions.
They are followed by Barcelona (122), Bayern Munich (109) and Sevilla (105).
The Palace triumph also marked the latest instalment in what has been a remarkable run in 2019 to date.
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Including our 3-1 win at Southampton on December 30th, City have since won 23 out of 25 games across all competitions.
With Liverpool proving formidable challengers for the title there is no margin for error – a fact borne out by City’s nine consecutive Premier League victories since our loss at Newcastle at the end of January, an incredible sequence of results.
As the finishing line looms into view, Guardiola has already stated he believes City will need to win all five of our remaining league games if we are to retain the title.
It’s a tall order – especially with the Club also seeking success in the Champions League and FA Cup.
But if an encouraging omen was needed, City have already proved more than proficient at mastering the numbers game.
