Pep Guardiola expressed pride in his Manchester City squad after they battled to a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace, extending their challenging run to just one victory in their last nine matches.
The reigning champions had to fight back twice at Selhurst Park, showing resilience but falling short of a much-needed win. Despite defeating Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, City couldn’t build on that momentum, leaving Palace feeling unfortunate not to have secured all three points.
Crystal Palace struck early, taking the lead in the fourth minute when Will Hughes found wing-back Daniel Muñoz in space, allowing him to drive home the opener. The hosts created further opportunities to extend their advantage before Erling Haaland equalized with a well-placed header from Matheus Nunes’ cross.
Palace regained the lead through defender Maxence Lacroix, who nodded in Hughes’ corner. However, City managed to salvage a point when Bernardo Silva set up Rico Lewis, who unleashed a stunning shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The drama continued as Lewis was sent off later in the game for a second yellow card following a foul on Trevoh Chalobah.
Guardiola remained positive despite the result. “We’ll take the point,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of the players—the way they fought, came back twice, and handled difficult conditions.”
City now sit eight points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played one game more. Meanwhile, Palace remain four points clear of the relegation zone.
Addressing City’s ongoing struggles and mounting injuries, Guardiola told BBC Sport: “This season is one to endure. We can’t talk about the title race after losing four games in a row and now drawing. We’ll focus on winning the next game and recovering players. Let’s see where we stand in the final month.”
The result highlights City’s struggles to regain their dominant form, while Palace will feel they missed an opportunity to claim a vital victory.