Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester City: What is next for Pep Guardiola & the champions?
- Latrell Oscar
- Dec 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City approached game week 15 with an urgent need for an away victory to snap a troubling streak of five consecutive losses on the road. Stefan Ortega got the start in goal for City ahead of Ederson for the third match in a row whilst Rico Lewis and Kyle Walker returned to the starting eleven.
Right from the start of the match, the champions were left reeling at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace took an early lead just four minutes in. A well-executed movement saw Will Hughes deliver a brilliant through ball that found a charging Daniel Munoz racing down the right flank. Once the ball reached Munoz, he faced only the goalkeeper, and although Stefan Ortega managed to get a hand on the shot, it wasn't enough to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net. This goal marked the right-back's impressive achievement of finding the net in consecutive matches.
Crystal Palace had several chances to increase their lead but failed to convert those opportunities. Typically, when you miss chances against Manchester City, they punish you for it, and that’s precisely what happened. After settling into the match, Matheus Nunes delivered a looping cross to the back post, where Erling Haaland rose above Palace captain Marc Guehi to head the ball over Dean Henderson, who had ventured off his line and found himself caught in no man's land. 1-1 after the first 45 minutes.
The visitors came out strong in the second half, displaying a marked improvement in their possession compared to the first half. Despite their pressure and positive play, the Champions found themselves trailing once more, and this goal certainly felt like it came against the run of play. The Eagles earned their first corner of the half, and from the delivery, Will Hughes expertly found a soaring Maxence Lacroix, who had a free header and smashed the ball into the back of the net, restoring Palace's lead at 2-1.
Currently behind once again, Manchester City desperately needed to find an answer to Lacroix’s goal. After 68 minutes, they found their answer. A well-coordinated team move culminated in a perfectly timed through ball that released Rico Lewis for a one-on-one with Dean Henderson. Lewis struck the ball into the top left corner, leaving Henderson with no chance to save it. The goal from Lewis was his first Premier League goal of his career and what a great time to get it.
Now, with real momentum on their side, Pep Guardiola’s men were pressing hard for a third goal that would give them the lead for the first time in the match. However, their plans came to an abrupt halt in the 84th minute when Rico Lewis committed a careless foul, leaving referee Robert Jones with no choice but to issue the 20-year-old his second yellow card. A hero to zero moment, that Lewis will truly want to now forget.
Now reduced to ten men, a Manchester City victory appeared nearly impossible. Crystal Palace looked to capitalise on their numerical advantage in the closing minutes, but they struggled to find the breakthrough. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, which felt like a fair result given the performances from both sides. This draw lifts Crystal Palace above Leicester City to 16th in the table, while Manchester City finds themselves without a win in six away matches.
For Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, the current struggles stem from a combination of Rodri’s absence and a shaky defensive structure. Opponents are finding it far too easy to break through, a stark contrast to previous seasons when City’s defence was nearly impenetrable. With the 2024 Ballon D’Or winner likely sidelined for the remainder of the season, City currently lacks an adequate replacement for him in the squad. It’s crucial for the four in a row Premier League champions to dive into the January transfer market in search of a player who can effectively fill the void left by Rodri’s injury.
The team's defensive struggles can be attributed in part to the injuries affecting that area. Key starters like John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake are all absent from Manchester City's backline. However, this shouldn't serve as an excuse. The defenders available should be capable enough to hold off Crystal Palace. Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis need to step up in future matches if the team is to improve their current form. It seems that teams are specifically targeting the wide areas, exploiting those particular vulnerabilities in the City defence. Additionally, defending set pieces must improve; it was far too easy for Lacroix to score today. Allowing an opposing centre back to have a free header in the box whilst defending a corner is simply unacceptable and should raise serious concerns.
As for Pep Guardiola, there’s a growing concern that the serial winner might be overthinking his decisions and getting lost in the noise. Manchester City waited until the 80th minute to introduce Jeremy Doku or Jack Grealish, but it seemed their impact was needed much earlier. With a challenging schedule ahead against Juventus, Manchester United, and Aston Villa, Guardiola’s side must tread carefully; otherwise, they risk falling to just one win in twelve matches.
Looking at the title defence for the champions, they currently find themselves eight points behind league leaders Liverpool. This gap could widen to eleven if the Reds win their game in hand. While it would be premature to say that City are incapable of mounting a comeback, the current trajectory suggests they are just two or three losses away from being completely out of this title race, and we’re not even halfway through December. The champions are in unfamiliar territory, and things could very much deteriorate further as the season progresses.
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