
Alan Pardew is convinced that British managers do not get the credit they deserve when they beat the best teams in the country. Read on, Alan, read on.

On nights like this you have to hand it to him because he is on to something after his Crystal Palace team crushed the defending champions with a performance that will reverberate across Europe.

In a season that started with Newcastle and will end in mid-table with Palace, Pardew has toppled Manchester City (twice), Tottenham (twice), Chelsea and Liverpool.

Glenn Murray wheels away after scoring the opening goal for Crystal Palace while Joe Hart appeals for an offside flag that never came

Murray celebrates his goal as Manchester City players Joe Hart (second left) and Bacary Sagna (third left) throw their arms up in frustration

Vincent Kompany complained vociferously about Murray's goal, but had to trudge back with his City team-mates after the goal was given

Murray celebrates, after checking for a flag, as his goal put Palace ahead in the 34th minute, despite City having dominated

Jason Puncheon curls his free kick over the Manchester City wall and into the far corner, as Yaya Toure seems to duck under the ball

Hart has no chance as the ball dips into the corner, beyond the England No 1's despairing dive, doubling the Palace lead at Selhurst Park

Puncheon celebrates his brilliant free kick which cleared the City wall and dipped into the bottom corner of the net to make it 2-0

Julian Speroni dives in vain as Yaya Toure's shot flies past him from the edge of the box to put City back in the game with 10 minutes to play

Toure is congratualted by his team-mates as City hurried to get the game restarted as they searched for an equaliser late on

It is a special achievement for an English manager, a man who was eventually run out of town after four years at St James’ Park.

If City sack their coach Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season, which they surely will do after this troubling defeat, they could do worse than turn to Pardew. Why not? He has something about him.

The Holmesdale Fanatics, those chuntering fans who sing non-stop at Selhurst Park, have christened their manager ‘Pardiola’ after winning seven of their last 11 Premier League games after his return.

Pardew has got something special going here, on a mesmerising run with this Palace team after goals from the enterprising pairing of Glenn Murray and Jason Puncheon put them 2-0 ahead.

Sergio Aguero scored his 18th of the season when he deflected Yaya Toure’s 78th-minute strike beyond Julian Speroni, but this night belonged to this Palace team.

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, MATCH ZONE AND LEAGUE TABLE Murray's goal came from a poor Crystal Palace corner. CLICK HERE for more from our brilliant Match Zone Crystal Palace: Speroni 7, Ward 6, Dann 6.5, Delaney 6, Kelly 6, Ledley 6.5, Zaha 6.5(Gayle 88 mins), Puncheon 7.5, McArthur 8, Bolasie (Souare 84), Murray 8.5 (Sanogo 83) Subs not used: Hangeland, Hennessey, Ameobi, Boateng. Goal: Murray 34, Puncheon 47 Booked: Delaney, Puncheon Manager: Alan Pardew 8 Man City: Hart 6, Sagna 6.5, Kompany 6, Demichelis 6, Clichy 5.5, Jesus Navas 5 (Nasri 77), Toure 7, Fernandinho 6 (Milner 87), Silva 7.5, Aguero 6, Dzeko 5 (Lampard 66). Subs not used: Zabaleta, Fernando, Nasri, Caballero, Mangala. Goal: Aguero 77 Booked: Demichelis Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 5 Referee: Michael Oliver 5.5 For Martha Kelner's full ratings, CLICK HERE Advertisement

Wilfried Zaha missed a glorious early chance for Crystal Palace, blazing over the crossbar from close range in just the second minute

Palace winger Yannick Bolasie takes on Bacary Sagna as Palace looked to put another dent in Manchester City's title challenge

Edin Dzeko, picked ahead of Wilfried Bony to partner Sergio Aguero up front for Manchester City, loses out to James McArthur

Aguero shoots from the edge of the penalty area, but although his shot beat Julian Speroni it came back off the foot of the post

Alan Pardew (right) deserves plenty of credit for the job he has done with Crystal Palace, but Manuel Pellegrini is heading for the exit at City

Diligence, character and shape were the words Pardew used in his interview on television, but there was more to this win than hard work. This Palace team have been brainwashed by his beliefs.

They showed courage, with Joe Ledley and James McArthur covering every blade of grass at Selhurst Park to suffocate Toure, David Silva, Jesus Navas and Aguero.

Palace have broken Pellegrini, a manager now facing the sack at the end of a season that promised so much. This surrender was meek and troubling. The momentum was with Palace and they were rewarded with an opening goal in the 34th minute that was contentious and controversial.

Joel Ward, Ledley and Scott Dann combined in a brilliant sequence, beating City’s defenders to the ball until it eventually fell to the feet of Glenn Murray.

He scored, with more than a hint of offside, but even a delegation of City players, led by captain Vincent Kompany, could not change the mind of referee Michael Oliver.

Kompany confronts referee Michael Oliver after the opening goal, but replays suggested that the officials were right to let the goal stand

Hart and Sagna could not believe that the assistant referee had not raised his flag, but Murray reacted fasted to find the net

GLENN MURRAY'S CONTROVERSIAL OPENER - GRAHAM POLL'S VERDICT Scott Dann was a fraction offside when he set up Glenn Murray for Palace’s first goal (2), but it would be harsh to put too much blame on assistant John Brooks. He was spot on with two equally tight calls in the same move - before Dann got the ball (1) and for Murray’s finish (3). The speed of it, plus two players blocking his view, made it unbelievably hard for him to get all three right. Assistant referee John Brooks was right to keep his flag down (1) before Scott Dann got the ball but the No 6 was then just offside (2) And Brooks was correct again to allow play to continue when Glenn Murray took his chance to put Palace in the lead Advertisement

There was more to come from Palace, adding another three minutes after the break when Puncheon, the best player on the pitch, scored with a magnificent free-kick.

Had it not been for Charlie Austin, Bobby Zamora, Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe over the weekend, this one would get far more air-time over the coming days.

It was mesmerising, as he unloaded with that left foot to beat Hart with a set-piece that beat City’s wall and dipped into the City keeper’s bottom left-hand corner.

‘After that we were hanging on because we knew they would come for us,’ admitted Pardew. He was right, but City look like a spent force. They have lost their last three on the road against varying opposition (Burnley, Barcelona and Palace), but the next one, at Manchester United on Sunday, has taken on added significance.

What happened to City’s sense of adventure, the risk-taking and all that off-the-cuff stuff people loved when they wrenched the title from United last season? It has gone, perhaps never to be seen again.

Pellegrini, the quiet man of English football, appeared to have Jose Mourinho’s number when he saw off the threat of Chelsea, and Liverpool, last season. Now they have got their sums all wrong.

Replays show Scott Dann was clearly onside from the first ball into the box, with Martin Demichelis playing him on

As the ball was flicked on Dann may have been marginally offside, although his right foot was extremely close to in line with Demichelis' head

When Dann had his shot, which was saved by Hart, Murray was behind the ball and therefore onside when he scored the goal

CITY SLUMP This defeat was Manchester City's sixth in the Premier League this season. Here is the complete list: Aug 30 Stoke (A) 0-1 Oct 25 West Ham (A) 1-2 Jan 18 Arsenal (H) 0-2 Mar 1 Liverpool (A) 1-2 Mar 14 Burnley (A) 0-1 Apr 6 Crystal Palace (A) 1-2 Advertisement

This City team are ageing before our eyes, with only two of the players starting against Palace under the age of 29. They had chances, of course they did, because a team that can call upon Samir Nasri, James Milner and Frank Lampard from the substitutes’ bench will always create opportunities.

The travelling fans want the old City back, the team that scored 102 goals on the way to winning their second Premier League title in three years. This, remember, is pretty much the same stable of players.

The stable door has shut on their chances of retaining the title, left in a three-horse race with Manchester United and Arsenal to determine the remainder of the top four in the Premier League.

They lack appetite. Aguero and David Silva failed to take their best chances in the first half and they were guilty again after the break. Lampard looked lost when he came on as a substitute and Nasri failed to deliver when he was sent on by Pellegrini to save the game in the second half.

There was a scare for Palace, when Murray clearly handled inside the penalty area in the 70th minute after Fernandinho’s shot was deflected off Yannick Bolasie. Inexplicably, Oliver missed it.

Aguero stands, hands on hips, after seeing his side fall behind at Selhurst Park to Glenn Murray's fifth goal of the season

Soon after the break Puncheon made it 2-0, and he celebrates with Joel Ward after his excellent free kick curled into the bottom corner

Puncheon is mobbed by his team-mates as Alan Pardew's side recorded a remarkable win against the Premier League champions

City had other chances, with Toure’s free-kick clearing Speroni’s crossbar and Silva’s wild strike from the edge of the area sent well wide of the target.

Palace survived and it is to Pardew’s credit that he accepted Palace’s good fortune on this occasion. All that counts is the victory.

They secured it because City could not create another real chance after Toure’s brilliant effort 12 minutes from time was deflected beyond the Palace keeper by Aguero.

The Argentina forward has 18 in the Premier League, one behind Diego Costa and Harry Kane, but the number crunchers will be paying closer attention to their league position.

They remain fourth, way off the pace after being beaten by a team who were 18th when Pardew took over.

After this, Palace — and Pardew — look like a Brit of all right.

David Silva takes the ball away from Bolasie, as City attempted to get back into the game after falling two goals behind

Jesus Navas, Frank Lampard, Aguero and Silva surround Michael Oliver after he failed to award Manchester City a second-half penalty