Man City’s Champions League hopes for next season were given a boost on Saturday.
Alan Shearer believed Pep Guardiola picked the wrong team for City’s clash with Crystal Palace and that looked to be the case as the Manchester club fell 2-0 behind in the contest.
That would not last long, however, as the Premier League champions would storm back to make it 2-2 before the halftime break, before going on to win the contest 5-2 in the second 45 minutes to move within two points of Nottingham Forest in third place.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 57 |
| 4 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 56 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 42 | 20 | 55 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 56 | 39 | 17 | 54 |
The victory was inspired by the ‘greatness’ of Kevin de Bruyne as the Belgian star ran the show at the Etihad and received a standing ovation after producing a goal and an assist.
The veteran star was not the only one who showed up as another Man City star impressed against Crystal Palace, but now he wants to leave the Premier League champions.
- READ MORE: Thierry Henry is dead certain on who is the better player – Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland
James McAtee keen on Bayer Leverkusen move
Jame McAtee was given a rare start by Guardiola at the weekend and the English talent did not let his manager down as the 22-year-old found the net during the 82 minutes he was on the field.
In addition to his goal, the Englishman had four shots (two on target), created two chances, completed 71% of his passes, had eight touches in the opposition box and made two passes into the final third.
Man City did not want to lose McAtee last summer, but with a contract expiring in 2026, the upcoming transfer window could see the midfielder depart the Etihad Stadium.
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, McAtee is very open to a move to Bayer 04 Leverkusen this summer with concrete talks said to be ongoing over a move.
The Englishman has been following Leverkusen closely this season and seems keen to join Xabi Alonso’s squad, although nothing is advanced between Man City and the German champions.
The signing of McAtee would be an exciting one for Leverkusen, although it is a deal that may hinge on the future of their superstar, Florian Wirtz.
Florian Wirtz could decide James McAtee’s future
Wirtz is one of the most exciting talents in world football and the German star could be on the move this summer as several clubs are showing interest in the 21-year-old.
Man City have Wirtz on their list and could maybe use McAtee as a way of landing the midfielder, however, the Premier League champions will face stiff competition from Bayern Munich.
Bayern plan to go all in for the Leverkusen star this summer, but there are currently no talks or negotiations taking place, reports Florian Plettenberg.
The German giants have set a large sum of money aside to complete the signing of Wirtz this summer and any deal will depend on whether the player wants to leave Bayer Leverkusen and if Bayern is the club he wants to be part of next.
The future of McAtee may hinge on this decision, but even if a move to Germany doesn’t materialise, there will still be plenty of interest in the English midfielder ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
