Saturday 22 December 2018 19:43, UK
Andros Townsend says his stunning volley in Crystal Palace's win over Manchester City is the best goal of his career so far.
Townsend's incredible 30-yard strike put Palace 2-1 up at the Etihad Stadium with Roy Hodgson's side eventually coming through 3-2 to inflict a first home defeat on City in the Premier League this season.
Jeffrey Schlupp and Luka Milivojevic were also on target for the visitors but it is Townsend's goal-of-the-season contender that will take the headlines.
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"It sat up perfectly for me," he told Sky Sports. "I knew the way Man City press that if I took a touch they'd be all over me so I knew I had to take it first time and, as soon as it left my foot, I knew it had a very good chance.
"Having watched it back, it's definitely the best goal of my career, given the circumstances, given the opposition. I think City are probably the best side I've ever played against in my career, they're incredible - you can't get near them at times. So to score against them away from home definitely ranks as the best."
As remarkable as his goal was, Townsend was keen to praise the defensive effort of the Crystal Palace team as they remained resilient in the face of a Manchester City onslaught in the second half.
"We followed our game plan to a tee," he added. "We worked tirelessly in training on how we were going to set up defensively and we knew it was going to have to be a perfect performance to get anything from here.
"Thankfully everybody did their jobs and we managed to take our chances, for probably the first time this season, and get a well-deserved win in the end."
