This eighth win in succession in all competitions was as authentic as it gets.
Admittedly the 3-0 success over Crystal Palace wasn’t always the most aesthetic ninety plus minutes of a season that continues to get better by the week, but after being written off in October it was the perfect way to enter the helter-skelter, quick-fire games of the holiday season.
Much of the chatter in the build-up to the last game before Christmas revolved around who wouldn’t be playing for the champions – No Kompany, No Jovetic, No Dzeko and No Aguero and whether Manuel Pellegrini would adopt a system without a forward pivot (the false nine formation).
Added to that list of the missing was Thierry Ambrose – quite a week for those bearing that forename given the retirement of all-time great Henry.
The first half was as much a game of human chess as it was football. City attacked; Palace defended in depth and broke with pace. It was a pattern repeated over and over again with gilt edged chances few and far between.
City signalled their most likely line of attack in only the second minute when the overlapping Samir Nasri fired just wide. It was the Frenchman who had the second effort, also narrowly the wrong side of the post, in 14th minute as the home side sought an intricate way through the massed Eagles defence.
Where Nasri was wide Yaya Toure was too high with a pair of attempts one from outside the box and the other from around 15 yards. It was frustrating stuff for home fans and manager alike.
However, the best chance of the half fell to Zabaleta who, one-on-one with Julian Speroni, lifted the ball over the keeper but beyond the far post after a superb ball from Toure. It was that kind of 45 minutes for the champions.
All that vexation disappeared less than five minutes into the second half when another move involving trademark short, sharp passing led to another Zabaleta cut back that was met by David Silva before striking defender Scott Dann and spinning into the net.
Twelve minutes later Silva scored one that will not trouble the dubious goals panel. This time the cut back came from the left via Aleksandar Kolarov and the Spaniard swept it home without the need of a stray opposition boot.
That really was that as far as the destination of the points was concerned but the best was still to come ten minutes from time when Frank Lampard won the ball close to his own box, Jesus Navas and the excellent James Milner moved the ball sixty yards before the England star fed Toure who hammered home via the post. Game well and truly over. True class.
This was the seventh time in succession that City had clipped the wings of the Eagles. It wasn’t entirely unexpected given that the last time Palace flapped back to the capital with maximum points Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister and Radio 5 and Sky Sports were still taking their first tottering steps! It was 1990 and Ian Wright was on the score sheet!
Despite the lack of recognised senior strikers City were scoring for 14th successive Premier League match – according to the statisticians who thrive on this sort of mini fact - the longest run of any side this season.
And the champions were reasserting some northern dominance at the same time having failed to win against Arsenal, Chelsea, QPR, and West Ham this term.
There was never much chance of Palace adding their name to that list. Gallant though Neil Warnock’s side were for much of the contest they were ultimately outclassed. One expects a level of obduracy from any side managed by the durable Warnock and watchers of his sides were not disappointed.
Still Palace have now won only one of their last 11 Premier League matches and need a better second half of the season while City’s campaign is looking a lot like last year’s. As Christmas repeats go that’s no bad thing.
So it was a happy birthday for Martin Demichelis as City recorded a fourth successive clean sheet. Who needs forwards!!?
