Yesterday we had the opportunity to see a top-tier premier league match in Manchester when Manchester City took on Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium. The day started with an early wake up followed by a stressful run through the unfamiliar national rail section of Euston station in downtown London. Luckily, everyone in the group got through the turnstiles with enough time to get comfortable for the two hour high-speed train journey ahead of us. When we arrived in Manchester, we had some time to explore the area. Most of the group used this time to see the National Football Museum. Connor Kelly said the museum “…was helpful for someone who is new to the sport. It had all sorts of cool artifacts from some of the first ever jerseys to a replica of the original World Cup.”
Jerseys from the 80s at the National Football Museum, including one from the Chicago team of the NASL 
Iconic Jerseys in the National Football Museum 
Some revolutionary jersey designs hanging in the National Football Museum 
A wall showing some of the most iconic jerseys in different colors 
The 1992 USA World Cup jersey
After the group was finished at the museum, everybody met to be a part of the fan march. This was where a huge group of Man City supporters, led by a marching band, walked from a park in central Manchester, all the way to Etihad stadium. The atmosphere was exciting and it felt like we were part of the locals supporting their team. Etihad Stadium had a more futuristic atmosphere than Villa Park or even Tottenham Hotspur stadium. The huge spires around the stadium dominated the skyline for miles. The difference was night and day compared to the old school structure of Villa Park, and despite the Tottenham Hotspur stadium being newer than the Etihad, the ultra modern design of Manchester City’s home ground was more physically impressive than Tottenham’s, in my opinion. One commonality between the three was the loud and involved fans cheering for both of the competing teams. At every game we have been to so far, all of the fans have all provided a high-energy environment to the match, and Etihad was no exception.
The game kicked off at 15:00 and right away, the underdog Crystal Palace club overwhelmed Manchester City with impressive defense and Palace found themselves with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half. Towards the end of the second half, we saw one of the most exciting 10-minute stretches of the whole season. Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero scored back-to-back goals at the 82nd and 87th minutes, to give City a 2-1 lead. Then just three minutes later Palace deflected a shot off of a Man City player and tied the game for a final score of 2-2. It was an incredibly entertaining game and a final score that very few people would have predicted. After the game ended, city fans were distraught and rushed out of the stadium while the Palace fans stayed around to chant and send off their team. We then left the stadium and walked back to our station and caught our train back to London.