Man City Squander Two-Goal Lead, Draw Crystal Palace

Manchester City’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title took another hit as Crystal Palace came from two goals behind to snatch a 2-2 draw with Michael Olise’s injury-time penalty on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s team was in control after Jack Grealish gave them the lead in the first half and Rico Lewis made it two after the interval.

But the champions fell apart in the second half at the Etihad Stadium as Jean-Philippe Mateta cut the gap in the final minutes before Olise scored his penalty in the fifth minute of added time.

It was the fifth time in six league matches that Pep Guardiola’s men have lost points, having also shared the spoils with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham and suffered a defeat to Aston Villa before last Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Luton.

In what was their final game before travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, the outcome leaves them fourth in the standings, three points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who welcome Manchester United on Sunday.

City’s quest for a historic fourth consecutive title is in jeopardy, although Guardiola will tell his players they recovered from eight points behind Arsenal to clinch the trophy late last season.

Without the injured Erling Haaland once more, City bossed the early stages, and Palace’s  Dean Henderson did well to keep out a fifth-minute Julian Alvarez header.

City’s opener came in the 24th minute when Phil Foden set up Grealish, and he beat Henderson for his third goal in three league games—the goal standing after a long VAR check for offside.

Josko Gvardiol hit the side-netting via a touch from Henderson, and Foden fired a shot wide.

City had the ball in the net again seven minutes into the second half when Alvarez’s free-kick on the left curled in at the far post, but the flag went up for offside against Rodri and the goal was ruled out.

The hosts did have their second in the 54th minute as Grealish’s pass bounced off Rodri and the ball landed to Lewis for a close-range finish, the 19-year-old’s first Premier League goal being verified after a VAR check.

City seemed to be sailing, but Palace got a goal back in the 76th minute when a long ball reached Jeffrey Schlupp, and he assisted Mateta, who slid home to make Guardiola’s team nervous.

Deep into added time, City fans’ worries came true as Foden tripped Mateta in the box, referee Paul Tierney awarded the penalty, and Olise coolly slotted the ball past Ederson.