Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 2
Michael Olise’s injury time penalty won a point for Crystal Palace after Manchester City threw away several chances to win.
City have now failed to win three Premier League games in a row at the Etihad in the Premier League for the first time since December 2016 and have only won one game in the last six in a worrying turn of form.
Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis put City 2-0 up but Crystal Palace had Dean Henderson to thank for seven saves (5 from inside the box) that kept Palace in the game – including a superb one from Bernardo Silva – and a VAR check that denied Julian Alvarez a free kick goal due to offside as City really should have put Palace to the sword.
City had 74% of the possession and 19 shots on goal (9 on target) but Crystal Palace scored both of their shots on target – one from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Olise’s injury time penalty as they went from 2-0 down in 76 minutes to 2-2 at the end of a one sided contest.
In a dominant first half City became the first club to have all 10 outfield players create a chance in the first half of a Premier League game since records began in 2006/07.
Grealish scored for the third consecutive Premier League game for the first time ever and Rico Lewis extended that lead soon after Julian Alvarez’ free kick goal was ruled out by VAR for offside.
It was Lewis’ first goal of the season and his first Premier League goal for the club after an encouraging game in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade.
Crystal Palace’s inevitable plan to fall back into a deep lying packed defence failed as they allowed City to pass them to death and prise them open.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing as this year’s City remain vulnerable.
Jean-Philippe Mateta – who had been Palace’s only danger-man – got his goal after Jeffrey Schlupp was released by a long ball and the veteran wing-man crossed for Mateta who slid in to halve the deficit with 14 minutes to go.
Mateta had earlier been scythed down by Ederson who escaped with just a booking after racing off his line as Palace’s long ball counter attack game plan went unheeded by City at times.
Matheus Franca and Naouirou Ahamada were brought on by Palace for the last 9 minutes and Eberechi Eze was introduced in added time to go as Palace tried to get an equaliser but couldn’t manage it against City.
So concerned was Guardiola by the last push by the Eagles that he was going to bring on John Stones for the final minutes of added time but Foden was penalised for a late foul on Mateta as Palace piled everyone forward in the last minutes as the England defender waited on the sidelines to come on.
A penalty was given and Michael Olise stepped up and sent Ederson the wrong way, slotting home into the bottom left corner as the Brazilian went early and City rued those missed chances.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 2
Ederson: 6. Booked for a badly mistimed challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Kyle Walker: 6. Decent going forward and taking part in the rondos but was too far away to offer cover for Ruben Dias when a long ball by Crystal Palace got them back into the game. Headed a cross away from Mateta in added time but Palace kept plugging away and he couldn’t stop Mateta a second time from drawing the foul from Foden.
Ruben Dias: 6. Sent a long range shot curling wide of the back post but was too slow to react to a long ball over the top for Jeffrey Schlupp.
Nathan Ake: 6. Beaten to the ball by Jean-Phillipe Mateta.
Josko Gvardiol: 7. Defensively solid with Michael Olise on his flank. Almost scored a second for City – advanced role on the left flank and had a couple of chances. Header saved by Dean Henderson.
Rodri: 7. Busy in midfield, helped keep Michael Olise quiet as he cut inside. Shot wide after Rico Lewis created space for him. Was offside for Julian Alvarez’ goal but made amends by setting up Rico Lewis.
Rico Lewis: 7. Decent performance in midfield. Set up chances and kept the ball moving. Alert to danger too and scored City’s second goal.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Started on the right wing and linked very well. Impossible to get the ball off. Denied a great goal after a shot from the right wing was tipped away by Henderson who also saved a late chance from the City man.
Phil Foden: 7. Quick thinking intricate passing in central midfield, created the first goal for Jack Grealish. Curled a shot into the side netting from 30 yards. Blotted his copybook with a gung-ho attitude late on which cost City 2 points – gave away ball cheaply and then the penalty that led to the equaliser with a late challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Jack Grealish: 7. Patient passing game suited him. Precise finish to put City into the lead. Did his share of tracking back. Could not control the late chaos.
Julian Alvarez: 6. Had an early header saved by Dean Henderson. Low free kick had Henderson foxed but was disallowed by VAR as Rodri had strayed offside. Faded in second half.
TEAM NEWS – Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 2
And after making his Manchester City debut in the Champions League on Wednesday in Belgrade Mahamadou Susoho was named on the bench against Crystal Palace.
Only Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish remained in the side that beat Red Star Belgrade as Pep Guardiola brought back senior players to play in City’s last game before their trip out to Saudi Arabia to play in the World Club Cup.
Lewis started in central midfield along with Phil Foden leaving Bernardo Silva to the right flank.
GOALS – Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 2
Man City 1, Crystal Palace 0: 24. Phil Foden slipped the ball through to Jack Grealish who scored. Confirmed after lengthy VAR check.
Man City 2, Crystal Palace 0: 54. Rico Lewis bundled the ball home after Rodri brought it down for him.
Man City 2, Crystal Palace 1: 76. City were undone by a long ball down the middle to Jeffrey Schlupp. Ruben Dias couldn’t prevent the veteran winger from crossing to Jean-Philippe Mateta who beat Nathan Ake to the ball to slide it past Ederson.
Man City 2, Crystal Palace 2: 90+5. Michael Olise sent Ederson the wrong way from the penalty spot after a stuttering run up after Phil Foden’s late tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta saw Paul Tierney point to the penalty spot.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 2
Man City: Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodri, Lewis, Bernardo Silva, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez
Man City Subs: Ortega, Phillips, Stones, Kovacic, Gomez, Akanji, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho
Booking: Ederson 43 (foul on Jean-Phillipe Mateta)
Goals: Grealish 24; Lewis 54
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Clyne (Eze 90+1), Ward (C) (Ozoh 34), Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Olise, Riedewald (Ahamada 81), Richards, Schlupp (Franca 81), Mateta
Crystal Palace Subs: Matthews, Tomkins, Ebiowei, Adaramola, Ola-Adebomi
Booking: Andersen 40 (foul on Rico Lewis)
Goals: Mateta 76; Olise pen 90+5
Referee: Paul Tierney