Foden's mesmerising assist keeps City's title hopes alive

In the long arc of a footballer's career, there are nights when a single gesture — a backheel in the dark of a difficult season — restores what months of struggle had quietly eroded. Phil Foden, 25, offered such a moment at Selhurst Park on Wednesday, conjuring two assists in a brilliant first half to help Manchester City defeat Crystal Palace 3-0 and keep their Premier League title hopes breathing. The victory leaves City two points behind Arsenal with one week remaining, a margin thin enough to sustain belief, wide enough to demand perfection.