Man City back in scoring form ahead of Real Madrid showdown

REAL MADRID, beware. Manchester City have rediscovered their scoring form ahead of the teams’ blockbuster showdown in the Champions League quarterfinals.

City hit four goals for the second straight game in the English Premier League, this time overwhelming Crystal Palace 4-2 to stretch its unbeaten streak in all competitions to four months and stay on the shoulder of first-placed Liverpool in the title race.

Best of all for City, Erling Haaland is back among the goals.

And Kevin De Bruyne is back scoring screamers.

City recovered from conceding in the third minute to cruise to victory at Selhurst Park, with De Bruyne equalising with a curling shot that was so exquisite that Pep Guardiola blew kisses to the Belgium playmaker.

After Rico Lewis put City ahead in the 47th, Haaland scored his first goal in four games for City to earn De Bruyne his latest assist. De Bruyne then buried a left-footed piledriver for his second goal to finish off Palace.

City moved level on points with Liverpool, whose game in hand is at Manchester United today. However, Arsenal, who were two points behind, went top overnight by beating Brighton 3-0 away in the late game.

City struggled to create chances in a 0-0 draw against Arsenal last weekend that proved to be a setback in its attempt to win the league for a fourth straight season – a feat never achieved in English football’s 135-year history.

Since then, City have beaten Aston Villa 4-1 and won at Palace.

Aston Villa are stumbling in their bid to secure the fourth guaranteed spot for Champions League qualification.

With a 3-3 draw at home to Brentford, fourth-placed Villa have won just one of their last five league games and were just three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, who host Nottingham Forest on Monday.

The league could yet have five entrants for next season’s Champions League, however, depending on how English clubs perform in the European competitions this campaign.

Newcastle and West Ham claimed wins as they hunt qualification for next season’s Europa League.

Bruno Guimaraes’ second-half goal earned Newcastle a 1-0 victory at Fulham and West Ham came from behind to beat Wolverhampton 2-1 thanks to goals by Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse.

West Ham are in seventh place, tied on points with Manchester United in sixth. Newcastle are a point and a place further back.

Everton ended their 13-game winless run by beating Burnley 1-0 to boost their fight to avoid relegation.

Everton were still just four points above the relegation zone because third-from-bottom Luton also won, 2-1 at home to Bournemouth thanks to Carlton Morris’ 90th-minute goal.