Manchester City failed to capitalize on an opportunity to move up to second place in the Premier League standings after drawing 2-2 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on December 7, 2024.
This result marks the eighth time in their last nine matches that City has failed to secure a win.
After a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, Pep Guardiola’s men were hoping to build momentum, but they were immediately put on the back foot.
Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz fired his team into the lead just four minutes into the match, racing onto a pass from Will Hughes and beating City’s defense with a cool finish.
City responded in the 12th minute when Erling Haaland scored a towering header from a cross by Matheus Nunes.
Haaland’s goal, his 13th of the season, put him level with Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot. Despite City’s dominant possession and attacks, they could not find another breakthrough before halftime.
In the second half, City started strong, but Palace stunned them again. Maxence Lacroix powered home a corner from Hughes in the 58th minute, putting the home team back in front.
However, City showed resilience and equalized in the 65th minute through Rico Lewis, whose strike found the top corner from outside the box.
Unfortunately for City, their hopes of completing a comeback were dashed when Lewis received a red card in the 84th minute for a foul, leaving them with just 10 men for the remainder of the match.
The result means City remain in fourth place, now eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who continued to extend their lead. The dropped points further complicate their title defense and the possibility of a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Meanwhile, in other Premier League action, Brentford continued their impressive form at home with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Newcastle United. Bryan Mbeumo, who has been a standout for Brentford this season, opened the scoring with a sensational individual effort.
Despite Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes quickly leveling the score, a defensive collapse from the Magpies in the second half allowed Brentford to take control. Nathan Collins scored from a long ball, and Kevin Schade sealed the points in stoppage time.
Brentford’s victory lifts them to seventh place, while Newcastle slips to 12th.
Aston Villa also continued their good form, defeating bottom-of-the-table Southampton 1-0. Jhon Duran scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute, taking advantage of a defensive mistake from Southampton. The result moves Villa up to fifth place in the standings.
As for Manchester United, they are set to face Nottingham Forest later in the evening as they aim to recover from a recent defeat to Arsenal.
The postponement of the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool due to high winds and heavy rain added to the drama of the weekend, as fans anxiously await the rescheduled match. The decision was made in the interest of safety, with the match at Goodison Park set to be played at a later date.
