John Stones Marks 100th Match In Premier League With 2 Goals Against Crystal Palace

John Stones (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Manchester City nudged into second place in the Premier League standings when defender John Stones did not normally score two goals as City thrashed visiting team Crystal Palace 4-0 in a Premier League match on Monday.

Stones, who appeared in his 100th league match for City, got his first goal with a header after following Kevin de Bruyne's mature cross in the 26th minute.

Ilkay Gundogan netted City's second goal from a curling shot 11 minutes after the break before the Stones were in the right place to hit Palace's left-footed shot in the 68th minute.

Raheem Stirling crowned City's brilliant run in the second half with an irresistible free kick that went into the top corner of the opponent's goal in the dying minutes.

The previous draw between leaders Manchester United and defending champions Liverpool was a big boost for Pep Guardiola's team.

And they managed to capitalize on that by scoring a fifth straight league win so they are now two points behind United and have a game in hand.

The 12th clean sheet from the last 15 matches provided the platform when City's forwards struggled to score goals.

Stones' partnership with Ruben Dias has been the key behind that success. After waiting five seasons for his first Premier League goal since joining City, the Stones have scored two goals in one game.

Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, had his 100th assist for City when a pass from his right foot towards the Stones resulted in a goal in the 26th minute.

City have now packed 35 points from 17 matches and overtook Leicester City on goal difference, while Liverpool are fourth with a collection of 34 points.

Palace did not move into 13th place with 23 points from 19 matches, according to an Antara quote from Reuters.