- Man City stumbled to 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday
- Cityzens dropped more points in the bid to defend their Premier League crown
- Haaland and Lewis on the scoresheet
Manchester City failed to build on their midweek victory as they laboured to a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Oliver Glasner's side made a lightning fast start and found themselves ahead after just four minutes as Daniel Munoz finished off an excellent chance created by Will Hughes. Man City would respond during an entertaining first half, however, with Erling Haaland heading the visitors level.
Rico Lewis once again equalised for Man City in the second half after Maxence Lacroix had powered home a header following the restart, with Lewis proceeding to get sent off in the closing stages as the visitors held on for a draw.
How the game unfolded
Having bounced back from seven matches without victory by beating Nottingham Forest midweek, the onus was on the reigning Premier League champions to build some much-needed momentum at Selhurst Park. However, they made a nightmarish start in the capital.
Man City's defensive vulnerabilities were laid bare within four minutes as Palace raced into an early lead. Hughes' defence-splitting pass found the marauding Munoz on the right-hand side and the Colombian kept his composure to fire under Stefan Ortega.
The home side's advantage was almost dashed just two minutes later as Haaland spurned an excellent opportunity. Kevin De Bruyne fed the Norwegian with a sumptuous through ball but the centre-forward slammed his effort at Dean Henderson's head as Selhurst Park held its breath.
Pep Guardiola's side reacted positively to falling behind despite their permeability at the back and came within inches of an equaliser midway through the first half. Ilkay Gundogan's rasping strike cracked the base of the post before Savinho curled the rebound wide as another opportunity to open his Man City account evaded the Brazilian.
But Savinho's profligacy proved immaterial as the clock hit the half-hour mark and Man City drew level. Palace had created some promising moments prior to the equaliser but their inability to secure a second proved costly as Haaland ended his three-game Premier League goal drought. Matheus Nunes' excellent delivery picked out the imposing Norwegian, who made no mistake as he redirected his header beyond Dean Henderson.
Palace came flying out of the blocks in the second half after surrendering their lead and quickly put their visitors under immense pressure. A flurry of half-chances came and went before they restored their cushion 12 minutes after the restart, defender Lacroix rising above Kyle Walker and heading home a first goal for the Eagles.
But Man City would come roaring back once more as they produced a second equaliser of the match ten minutes later. An outstanding move ended at the feet of Lewis, who thumped a clinical effort high into the net to set up a grandstand finish.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Lewis turned from hero to villain with six minutes to play as he received his marching orders. A harsh second yellow card saw the goalscorer make an early exit and offer Palace hope of taking the lead for the third time at Selhurst Park.
But the home side were unable to press home their advantage as the game petered out, with Man City having to settle for a point following another unconvincing display that leaves them eight points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Man City unconvincing in defence...again
Man City's defensive frailties have been exposed in recent weeks. During their seven-game winless run, the Cityzens conceded 19 times as injuries forced Guardiola into experimenting with his rearguard. Those frailties were on show again at Selhurst Park.
Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones were all missing for the visitors and they lined up in a 3-2-4-1 formation. Rico Lewis, who played as a defensive midfielder in possession, dropped into left-back when Palace regained the ball.
However, Man City's porousness was plain for all to see in London as the home side carved through them on many occasions. Palace's early goal was created by Hughes splitting the defence all too easily following a scrap in midfield, with Lewis unable to cover Munoz as he strode towards goal. The hosts regained their lead following some slack Man City defending from a set piece.
The absence of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic only exacerbated the issue and Guardiola must discover a system that protects his defence. If it wasn't for last-ditch challenges from Ruben Dias throughout, Man City could have conceded a hatful following another weak display at the back.
Man City flex their attacking muscles
Man City's defensive performance - bar the efforts of Dias in the heart of the back three - was largely dismal, but they did offer glimpses of their former self when applying pressure to the Palace goal in both halves.
The defending champions counter-attacked with pace on the occasions they turned the ball over and some of their more static link-up play was typically easy on the eye. Lewis' second-half strike was Man City at their best, a flowing move capped with an excellent finish.
While still a shadow of the side that has dominated the Premier League for the past seven years, there are whispers of positivity when it comes to their attacking play, with the likes of Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne having come to life in recent outings.
Crystal Palace making progress
Much was made of Palace's woeful start to the campaign under Glasner given the stark contrast between their opening in 2024/25 and conclusion in 2023/24. It felt as if the results would come if the Austrian was given time and that's proving to be the case.
Sure, the Eagles have only won two Premier League matches this season, but their performances have often merited more. They were well worth their point against Man City with a stubborn defensive display brought to life by impressive quick transitions.
A little more cutting edge in the final third and Palace could have secured a memorable victory, but if they keep playing like this then survival should be no issue.
