Man City revival stalls as Palace good value for point
Crystal Palace's Trevoh Chalobah challenges Manchester City's Jack Grealish during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Saturday December 7, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Palace. Photo credit should read: Adam Davy/PA Wire.
MANCHESTER City’s hopes of relaunching their title challenge after returning to winning ways this week quickly stalled as they once again paid the price for defensive errors. Pep Guardiola’s side were twice forced to come from behind and ultimately had cause to be grateful they did not pay a bigger price after losing Rico Lewis to an 84th minute red card.
City, who have now won just once in nine games, twice trailed, first to Daniel Munoz early opener and then to Maxence Lacroix’s second half header after Erling Haaland equalised. Lewis brought his side back level for a second time in the 68th minute but after the full-back earned a second caution, the visitors’ hopes of recording back to back wins faded.
The midweek victory over Nottingham Forest ended a run of seven games without a win and offered signs that alarming period may be behind Guardiola’s side. But the optimism generated by that success quickly faded as Palace made an early breakthrough.
Munoz had headed the added timer equaliser that clinched a draw for Oliver Glasner’s side against Newcastle United in their last outing at Selhurst Park. And a week later the Colombia wing-back took less than four minutes to repeat the feat, exploiting City’s first defensive error to put his side ahead.
The opportunity was created by a neat exchange of passes between Will Hughes and Jean-Philippe Mateta and Munoz took full advantage after being played onside by Kyle Walker to slot past Stefan Ortega.
Haaland had a chance to level almost immediately and Ilkay Gundogan later struck the post but for much of the opening period it was Palace who created the better chances and City had cause to be grateful for a series of defensive blocks by Ruben Dias who worked overtime to protect Ortega. Haaland’s presence, though, ensured City always posed a threat and the forward equalised in the 30th minute, rising at the far post to meet Matheus Nunes’s cross and loop a header beyond Palace keeper Dean Henderson.
The goal shifted the balance of the game in City’s favour and Guardiola’s side remained in control for the rest of the first half and carrying on from where they left off after the restart. They remained vulnerable low and Lacroix made the most of Walker’s failure to get off the ground by heading home unchallenged from Will Hughes’s 56th minute corner.
City’s recent frailties had been exposed once again but the presence of Kevin de Bruyne ensured they continued to pose a threat going forward and the Belgium was involved in a slick four-man move that ended with Bernardo Silva who played in Lewis and the full-back finished impressively into the roof of the net for the 68th minute equaliser.
The momentum was once again with the visitors as they went in search of a winning goal before Lewis’s dismissal after a late challenge on Trevoh Chalobah earned him a yellow card.
Henderson 7; Chalobah 7, Lacroix 7, Guehi 8; Munoz 7, Hughes 7, Lerma 6, Mitchell 6; Sarr 6 (Nketiah 77,6), Mateta 7, Eze 6 (Devenny 72, 6).
Turner, Ward, Schlupp, Clyne, Kamada, Richards, Doucoure,
Ortega 6; Walker 5, Dias 8, Gvardiol 6, Lewis 6; Silva 6, Gundogan 6; Savinho 5 (Doku 79, 6), De Bruyne 7 (Grealish 85, 6), Nunes 7; Haaland 6.
Ederson, Carson, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand
Robert Jones 6
