Manchester once again let a game they had won slip away and gave up a draw for Crystal Palace (2-2). succumbed through a penalty in added time, and its identity crisis is already a debatable issue, due to the evident loss of solvency that was one of its virtues.
That crisis began on November 12, with the draw at Chelsea (4-4) and has not stopped. Pep Guardiola’s team has won three of the last eight games played, two victories in the Champions League and one in the Premier, which is falling behind in the classification.
With 2-0 in favor
City had the game on track with a goal from Jack Grealish (m. 24) that allowed them to pierce the dense defense of Crystal Palace, completely retreated in their field, and another from Rico Lewis that seemed like the sentencing (m. 54). The game gradually became balanced, but Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal (m. 76) did not set off the alarm with enough intensity. It was the first shot on goal for Palace by the very veteran Roy Hodgson (76 years old).
City continued at their own pace in their desire to hide the ball, extending their possessions. The London team stole the leather next to the touchline from Bernardo Silva, very close to the light blue area, and Phil Foden, in his eagerness to clear it, kicked the leg of Mateta who was also going for him. The VAR considered that the grab on Bernardo was not enough to call it a foul. Olise cheated on Ederson (d. 94). The second shot on goal.
City was tied by Chelsea in the 95th minute with a penalty, Liverpool in the 80th, Tottenham in the 90th and Palace in the 94th, also with a penalty.
Only victory in Luton
City’s setback is concentrated in the Premier, where they have only won one of the last six games in the championship, and it was in the visit to Luton (1-2). The draw at Stamford Bridge was followed by another draw with Liverpool (1-1), another with Tottenham (3-3), the defeat at Aston Villa (1-0) and the stumble against Palace (2- 2): i.e. 7 points won out of 18 possible.
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It so happens that City tied in the last minutes, when they were winning. Cole Palmer made it 4-4 from a penalty in the 95th minute for Chelsea; Trent Alexander-Arnold scored Liverpool’s 1-1 lead in the 80th minute; Dejan Kulusevski made it 3-3 for Tottenham in the 90th and Michael Olise made it 2-2 for Palace in the 94th. Leon Baisley scored for Aston Villa to make it 1-0 in the 74th.
During the rocky journey in the English championship, City has completed six victories in the Champions League group by beating Leipzig (3-2) and Red Star (2-3) in Belgrade.