Crystal Palace 2-2 Man City (Munoz 4’, Lacroix 56’ | Haaland 30’, Lewis 68’, Lewis sent off 84’)
SELHURST PARK – More dropped points. A mini Guardiola tirade at the officials on the pitch at full-time. The house that Pep built is crumbling even if a full-blown collapse was avoided.
Reports of Manchester City’s death had been greatly exaggerated, we were told as they brushed aside Nottingham Forest in midweek. What should have been a hard-fought turnaround against Crystal Palace instead left the structure looking shaky, the rain largely coming in from one side.
City ended the game a full-back down after Rico Lewis’ controversial sending off. The reality was they might as well have been earlier. It was Kyle Walker on the other flank inexplicably frittering away the line and keeping Palace onside for Daniel Munoz’s opener after four minutes. Incredibly, no other side can match the seven goals City have let in during the first 15 minutes of games this season.
The winds transported Will Hughes’ name around a bellowing Selhurst Park in tribute to the pass he had picked out. The former England stalwart could have had a chorus too.
Walker’s form was at the heart of the six losses in seven games that blew open the title race, knocked City out of a cup and undermined them on the continent.
Once, you might have pointed to Ederson’s absence; Stefan Ortega might argue differently. Though he could have been stronger for the opener, for Maxene Lacroix’s power header that put Palace back in front he was left powerless by Walker’s inept marking.
Worst of all it came at a time when City had looked imperious. On a deserved start, Matheus Nunes had teed up Erling Haaland with a fine cross from the left to head in the equaliser at the half-hour mark. From there, City had glistened, Kevin De Bruyne silkily weaving through a Palace unit set up to withstand pressure and counter.
The decision to bench Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku risked erasing the magic they had provided three nights ago but going forward there was no shortage of creativity. You might expect City’s liquid football to turn to sludge on a day when Storm Darragh was battering the island; you half expected the risen Sam Allardyce to burst through the gates in a short-sleeved t-shirt to take the reins. Both sides instead put on a show.
City were helped, of course, because as has so often been the case here this season Oliver Glasner’s men will provide flashes of brilliance but miss a hatful of chances. They could not take advantage of that reprieve largely because of what is becoming a glaring weak spot at right-back.
The difference between Walker and a resilient Ruben Dias was stark – at times his blocks kept the visitors in it.
As for Lewis, he could count himself a little unlucky. Though he was late in for the challenge on Trevoh Chalobah, he had the right to try and make the clearance and it was actually the Palace defender’s boot that made the contact. It seemed Guardiola was furious despite a cryptic reply when asked what he thought of the incident post-match: “I didn’t see.”
He denied that his side were tired and suggested that one-man deficit for the last 10 minutes was decisive. He can point to the injuries that made this a makeshift back line, Nathan Ake the latest man to fall with a hamstring complaint, alongside Manuel Akanji who has an unspecified issue. Josko Gvardiol was pushed into the centre with Lewis on the left.
Lewis may have had a torrid time against Munoz but he is still just 20 and the clear area to work on is his positioning. He has made no secret of his wish to play in central midfield and it was clear he was best equipped when veering higher up the pitch. With City up against it, he took their second goal well after timing his run into the box perfectly.
The versatile full-back has long been tipped as the heir to Walker’s crown but it is time a succession plan is hurried along, when City’s squad is full enough to allow it.
What makes that headache more puzzling though is Guardiola’s reputation for meticulous planning – Rodri was signed for three years before Fernandinho’s exit. One eye was on discovering the next Sergio Aguero.
Guardiola is still keen to lean on what he knows – he has only given four outfield players more minutes than Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva this season. When Gundogan let fly and rattled one against the post, it was the kind of effortless ooze that made you feel as if you were watching the old City. The same cannot be said of another member of the old guard.
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