City sign off for 2024/25 with entertaining Palace win | OneFootball

Manchester City ended the 2024/25 campaign with an exciting 5-2 victory over Crystal Palace at the Joie Stadium.

The visitors took the lead through Ashleigh Weerden’s clinical effort after Palace had stolen back possession in the City half, but the Blues responded through a vicious Kerolin Nicoli volley.

Palace regained their lead before the break when Mille Gejl fired home against the run of play, but City once again pulled level just after the hour through substitute Jill Roord.

And we went ahead for the first time soon after when Rebecca Knaak met a Lauren Hemp corner, before Kerolin Nicoli and the German defender both completed a brace to ensure we ended the season on a high.

What happened

City came into the tie knowing we'd have to settle for a fourth-placed finish this season, but Nick Cushing had called for his players to end the season on a high against already relegated Crystal Palace.

And the Blues almost delivered inside two minutes, going close when Laia Aleixandri’s header from a corner flashed just wide of the post.

But it was the visitors who would take the early lead, with City caught in possession inside our own half and punished by Weerden’s clinical finish inside the area.

It could’ve been two for Palace soon after when the ball was cut back to the edge of the City box, but Molly-Mae Sharpe side-footed the wrong side of the post with Keating stranded.

It’d been a lacklustre start from City, but we drew ourselves level with a moment of individual brilliance from Kerolin Nicoli.

The Brazilian’s tenacity saw her first to a poor Crystal Palace clearance and, after taking a touch to steady herself, the forward rifled an unstoppable drive into the top corner off the post.

That strike sprung City to life, with Lauren Hemp looping an effort onto the roof of the net soon after from a tight angle as we looked to make our momentum count.

Kerstin Casparij, already enjoying her best goalscoring season, was the next to threaten the Palace goal as she met a searching Alex Greenwood cross at the far post, but her effort was wide of the mark.

And the Dutch international went even closer moments later, when her cross almost snuck in at the far post, with Shae Yanez scrambling.

The Palace stopper came to the rescue for the visitors again as the game ticked over the half hour mark, diving at the feet of Jess Park to keep the scores level when the midfielder looked destined to tap home.

City had been in control heading towards the break, but the visitors regained their lead against the run of play when Stengel raced onto a direct ball in behind and cut back for Gejl.

The midfielder made no mistake with a side-footed finish, sending the visitors in ahead at the break.

Nick Cushing made two changes at the break with Roord and Aoba Fujino introduced from the bench, and it looked like the former had set up our equaliser inside 30 seconds of her entering the fray.

The Dutch international played a perfectly weighted ball in behind to Lauren Hemp who found the far corner of the net only for the offside flag to go up and cut our celebrations short.

Roord was looking sharp and forced a fine save out of Yanez soon after, seeing her effort tipped onto the near post.

But Palace still posed a threat at the other end, with Keating making a fine double save to deny Stengel after she’d been sent through on goal in the following passage of play.

The ongoing battle between Roord and Yanez continued apace though, with the midfielder heading just wide of the mark after fellow substitute Fujino had got to the by-line.

It looked like we’d grabbed the equaliser on the hour when Hemp’s low ball in from the left was met by Kerolin Nicoli, but she fired straight at Yanez with the goal gaping.

Yanez made another excellent save from the Brazilian soon after but could do nothing to prevent Roord from smashing into an empty net for the leveller.

And the game was turned on its head soon after, with a towering Knaak header squirming into the bottom corner from a Hemp cross to hand us the lead.

City were starting to turn the screw, and it could’ve been four with around 20 to play when Yanez had to tip a Casparij cross away from danger, before getting down well to stop a deflected Laura Blindkilde Brown effort.

Kerolin Nicoli was denied by a goal-saving block soon after, before Yanez pulled off another smart save to deny Roord, but Palace were beginning to tire in the Joie Stadium heat.

And the fourth would eventually arrive in the 87th minute, when Kerolin Nicoli raced onto a ball in behind the visiting defence and confidently slotted past Yanez.

The Brazilian could even have had a hat-trick late on, but a curling effort flew just the wrong side of the post before Knaak headed home on the cusp of full-time to extend our advantage to five.

Player of the Match: Yui Hasegawa

The midfielder set the tone for City throughout the 90 minutes, both with and without the ball.

Her energy and quality has been indispensable for the Blues across 2025/26.

What it means

City knew a fourth-placed finish was guaranteed ahead of kick-off, but we finish the season with 43 points.

We end up one point outside the top three, and 15 ahead of fifth-placed Brighton.

How we lined up

Khiara Keating started between the sticks, shielded by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Gracie Prior, Rebecca Knaak and Alex Greenwood.

Yui Hasegawa and Laia Aleixandri shielded the defence, with Laura Coombs completing our midfield three.

At the sharp end, Jess Park and Lauren Hemp started on the wings, with Kerolin Nicoli leading the line.

City XI: Keating, Casparij, Prior, Knaak, Greenwood (C), Hasegawa, Aleixandri, Coombs (Roord 46’), Park (Fujino 46’), Hemp (Blindkilde Brown 68’), Kerolin Nicoli.

Subs: Annets, Layzell, Wienroither, Oyama, Thomas, Murphy.

Palace XI: Yanez, Nolan, Sharpe, Potter, Weerden (Cato 90'+3), Swaby, Stengel (Arthur 90'+3'), Woodham, Gejl, Oling (Gibbons 79'), Larkin (Larisey 79').

Subs: Majasaari, Hughes, Atkinson.