The answer to City struggles? Give Pep his players back

Instead, he attempted to draw strength from adversity by offering his players the opportunity to achieve something that might surpass anything they already have achieved during their trophy-laden recent past.

The failure to beat Crystal Palace leaves City with just one win in nine matches in all competitions and the performance demonstrated just why the air of invincibility that previously surrounded them appears to have disappeared. 

Defensively they were vulnerable with Kyle Walker again having an uncomfortable game with the defender at fault for both Palace’s goals.

Guardiola’s side may have shown character to twice claw their way back on to level terms and the return of Kevin de Bruyne has undoubtedly injected more creativity into their play. 

Yet while they dominated for extended periods, they weren’t able to impose a stranglehold on the game and remained vulnerable to Palace’s counter-attacks.

In Guardiola’s eyes, the answer to these problems is clear. 

“You know the solution, give me my players back, and we will do it,” said the City manager, referring to an injury list that includes Rodri, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic and Oscar Bobb. 

Phil Foden was also ruled out of the trip to Selhurst Park with illness while de Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish were involved despite only recently returning to full fitness. 

The inclusion of five academy graduates on the bench underlined Guardiola’s point.

Eight points adrift of Liverpool having played a game more, a title challenge is already looking daunting and the manager knows those issues aren’t going to be resolved any time soon, particularly with Rico Lewis set to miss next Sunday’s Manchester derby after collecting a second yellow card late on. 

Wednesday’s Champion League trip to Juventus is next up when Guardiola will be forced to draw on the same players to whom he laid out a challenge in the dressing room after the final whistle in South London.

“The reality is that we have few players to rotate in this type of period,” said the manager. “When we arrived in the last stages for the treble season or quadruple domestic and this kind of stuff is because everybody was there and everybody is involved.

“But it's not question of luck, it’s a question that it happens. It's life, sometimes it happens, you have to accept it, and this is the challenge, and that's why the challenge has been given for the players again, in a 3pm one on Saturday, in the winter time, in Selhurst Park, they did it. Of course we could win, but we could not do it. It's football, and we know that this season will be like this.

“And what I said to players, ‘don't feel sorry, please, accept the challenge, it will be more difficult, but that's what it is, and maybe at the end, we'll have more satisfaction in the way we are going to behave in this problems than maybe in the other seasons that we won the title’.” 

If they are to succeed in that challenge, they will have to do better in moments like in the fourth minute when Walker’s loss of concentration meant Daniel Munoz of onside when he ran clear to put Palace ahead. 

Erling Haaland equalised in the 30th minute with a towering header but with City seemingly in control, Walker failed to match Maxence Lacroix’s jump as the Palace centre-back restored his side’s lead early in the second half. 

A trademark City move involving Ilkay Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and finished by Lewis brought them back level but they rarely looked like adding a third.

The assessment of Dean Henderson, the Palace keeper, confirmed City are currently not the team they were. 

“It felt different on the pitch,” he said. “City at times are unbelievable and you don't get a break, don't get out your own half. They gave us a few chances, we wouldn't have got them last season, we've got to make them count and we did. It is a great point, no matter what form they're in they are world class players.” 

The ability of those players to respond to their latest challenge will determine the extent to which City can revive their faltering campaign.

Crystal Palace (3-4-3): 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).

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): 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.

Referee: Robert Jones 6