In the absence of Erling Haaland for the third consecutive match, Manchester City took an early lead in the first half through Jack Grealish. They extended their lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute with a goal from Rico Lewis, and many expected the defending champions to easily secure the victory from that point.

However, Jean-Philippe Mateta brought hope for Crystal Palace in the 76th minute. In injury time, Michael Olise leveled the score to 2-2 with a penalty after Phil Foden fouled Mateta inside the penalty area.

The moment Olise beat Ederson left Pep Guardiola frustrated, with Sportbible quoting images of HLV Roy Hodgson mocking his counterpart nearby. An intriguing contrast between the two managers.

Hodgson had every reason to be pleased witnessing his team secure an impressive draw. Pep could only blame his players for losing focus and playing complacently, resulting in dropping two points. After this draw, Manchester City will temporarily pause their Premier League journey to travel to the Arab world to prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Pep Acknowledges the Unfortunate Aftermath of the Palace Draw

Manchester City is displaying a disappointing face in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s squad dropped points when hosting Crystal Palace at home. The final result saw Manchester City drawing 2-2 with Palace. The citizens of Manchester initially led 2-0 with goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis.

Unfortunately, complacency cost the reigning Premier League champions dearly. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise’s goals secured a valuable draw for Palace. This marks the second time Manchester City has gone four consecutive home matches without a win under Pep Guardiola’s reign.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Pep stated, “Manchester City lost two crucial points. We acknowledge that the penalty awarded to Crystal Palace was deserved. This scenario shouldn’t have happened, but it did.”

“Manchester City had a really good performance. Every detail was impressive. We defended well in set-piece situations. Palace is a strong team, patient with its style of play. Manchester City couldn’t secure a win despite creating many chances. A similar scenario occurred against Tottenham and Liverpool.”