Manchester City continued their streak of underwhelming results with a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening in the 15th round of the English Premier League.
Crystal Palace found the net through Daniel Munoz in the 4th minute and Maxence Lacroix in the 56th minute. Manchester City responded with goals from Erling Haaland in the 30th minute and Rico Lewis in the 68th minute.
The draw elevated Manchester City to 27 points, placing them temporarily in fourth, while Crystal Palace climbed to 13 points, holding the 16th spot in the standings.
Crystal Palace took an early lead in the fourth minute as Daniel Munoz capitalized on a brilliant pass from Will Hughes, unleashing a precise right-footed strike that found the back of the net.
Manchester City attempted a quick response just three minutes later when Erling Haaland broke free for a one-on-one against goalkeeper Dean Henderson. However, Henderson skillfully narrowed the angle and thwarted the Norwegian striker’s effort, preserving Palace’s lead.
Ilkay Gundogan came close to levelling for Manchester City in the 24th minute, but his low-driven effort struck the right post and rebounded away.
Crystal Palace nearly extended their lead in the 28th minute when Daniel Munoz skillfully manoeuvred past Rico Lewis on the edge of the pitch. He then delivered a pass to French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who set up Jefferson Lerma, but Lerma’s shot was deflected by the City defence.
City levelled the score in the 30th minute thanks to Erling Haaland. Núñez floated a precise cross from the right flank, and despite close marking, Haaland rose high to head the ball beyond Dean Henderson’s reach.
The tempo slowed in the final 15 minutes of the first half, with Palace finding it difficult to transition the ball into midfield. The first half concluded with the teams locked at 1-1.
Crystal Palace defied expectations by retaking the lead in the 56th minute. Will Hughes delivered a pinpoint corner kick, and Maxence Lacroix rose above the defence to nod the ball into the net, capitalizing on the confusion in City’s penalty area.
Manchester City intensified their efforts to equalize and found success in the 68th minute. Bernardo Silva threaded a perfectly timed through ball to Rico Lewis, who finished with precision, slotting the ball into the top corner.
Jeremy Doku was introduced as a substitute for Savinho to add pace to City’s attack, but their momentum took a hit in the 84th minute. Rico Lewis, already on a yellow card, was dismissed after picking up a second booking, leaving City with ten men for the closing stages.
Despite bringing on Jack Grealish to replace Kevin De Bruyne in a final push, City couldn’t find the winning goal. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, marking another frustrating result for the defending champions.
