So much for the tough away day. Manchester City made Selhurst Park look like a training ground as they dismantled Crystal Palace with ruthless efficiency.
Erling Haaland grabbed a brace. Phil Foden continued his outrageous run of form. And Pep Guardiola's title chasers sent a clear message to Arsenal: we are coming for you.
The 3-0 scoreline does not tell the whole story. Palace hit the woodwork twice and had moments where they looked dangerous. But when City turned on the style, Oliver Glasner's men simply could not cope.
This is what champions do. They grind out results when they are not at their best, then punish teams with clinical finishing when chances arrive.
Haaland the difference
For 40 minutes, the Norwegian was anonymous. Palace's defence marshalled him well, and City struggled to create clear openings in a cagey first half.
Then, in the 41st minute, came the moment of magic that changed everything.
Matheus Nunes delivered a pinpoint cross from the right. Chris Richards jumped but could not reach it. And there, lurking behind him like a shark sensing blood, was Haaland.
The header was unstoppable. Downward, powerful, precise. Dean Henderson had no chance. It was the culmination of a 25-pass move - the most passes before a City goal in the Premier League since Rodri's strike against West Ham at the end of 2023-24.
That is the beauty of this City side. They can be patient, methodical, almost boring at times. Then suddenly they explode into life and the ball is in the net.
Foden on fire
If Haaland's first was all about the collective, City's second was pure individual brilliance.
Rayan Cherki picked up the ball in midfield and did what Cherki does - he danced past two Palace players like they were not there. Adam Wharton and Will Hughes might as well have been statues.
The Frenchman's pass to Foden was perfectly weighted. And Foden's finish? Absolutely clinical. Low, hard, into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
That is six goals in four Premier League games for the England international. He is playing the best football of his career right now, and defenders across the country should be very worried.
Palace's frustration
The scoreline was harsh on Palace, who created enough chances to have made this a very different game.
Yeremy Pino was electric in the first half. The Spanish winger beat Nico González for pace and skill repeatedly, and his half-volley that crashed against the crossbar deserved better.
Adam Wharton, too, was magnificent in midfield. The youngster struck the post with a rasping drive from 20 yards in the second half. On another day, that goes in and we have a proper game on our hands.
But football is cruel. Palace hit the woodwork twice and scored zero. City had seven shots and scored three. That is the difference between good teams and great teams.
Penalty seals it
Any hopes of a Palace comeback were extinguished in the 89th minute when Savinho was brought down in the box.
Haaland stepped up. Cool as you like. Sent Henderson the wrong way. 3-0. Game over. Title race very much alive.
The Norwegian now has 17 league goals this season. He is on course to break his own records again. And he is doing it in a team that looks increasingly capable of catching Arsenal.
What this means for the title race
City are now just two points behind Arsenal heading into the festive period. The Gunners scraped a 2-1 win against bottom club Wolves on Saturday night, so they will not be feeling comfortable.
Guardiola's men have won four league games in a row. They have that look about them - that swagger of a team who knows they are finding form at exactly the right time.
Palace, meanwhile, drop to fifth after this defeat. They remain a good side with European ambitions, but back-to-back home defeats - against Fulham and now City - have taken some of the shine off their remarkable season.
Glasner will be frustrated. His team deserved something from this game based on their performance. But deserving and getting are two very different things in football.
For City, this was a statement. The title race is far from over. And Erling Haaland is just getting started.
