Manchester City fought back twice against Crystal Palace but left Selhurst Park with a frustrating 2-2 draw.
Pep Guardiola offered a cryptic response to Rico Lewis’ late red card during Manchester City’s clash with Crystal Palace, as the reigning champions dropped more points in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Lewis, who scored a stunning second-half equalizer to salvage a point for City, was sent off after picking up two yellow cards, the first for dissent and the second for a reckless challenge on Trevoh Chalobah. Guardiola’s reaction was terse when asked about the decision, simply saying, “It’s because it’s Rico,” and declining to elaborate further.
A Game of Highs and Lows
City’s afternoon began with Daniel Muñoz giving Palace an early lead before Erling Haaland equalized with a well-timed header in the first half. Palace regained the advantage after Maxence Lacroix’s towering header, but Lewis’ sublime strike once again leveled the score.
Despite City’s dominance, Lewis’ red card in the 84th minute left Guardiola’s men scrambling for a winner with just 10 men. The result leaves City eight points adrift of Liverpool, who also have a game in hand following the postponement of the Merseyside derby due to Storm Darragh.
Guardiola: A Season of Struggles
Reflecting on City’s recent form, Guardiola acknowledged the challenges his team has faced but remained optimistic about their character.
“We fought incredibly, and I’m really pleased with the players,” Guardiola said. “This season, it’s about suffering and staying there until the end. We’ve lost four games in a row and now we draw, so it’s about taking it step by step.”
With key players like Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Mateo Kovačić, Oscar Bobb, and Rodri unavailable, Guardiola praised his team’s resilience but admitted that more consistency is needed.
Bernardo Silva: “We Have to Do Better”
Midfielder Bernardo Silva struck a more critical tone, expressing disappointment with the team’s performance.
“With Man City, it’s always two points lost,” Silva said. “We’re not happy. This is not the standard we’ve built. We know our situation with injuries, but we still have to do better. We have to react better to second balls and give fewer opportunities on set-pieces.”
Despite the tough run of results, Silva remains hopeful that City’s fortunes could turn around once their injured players return.
“If we recover our players quickly, we can always fight back,” Silva added. “But right now, our focus has to be on winning the next game. The last month and a half haven’t been good enough.”
City’s inconsistent form and injury woes have left them in an unfamiliar position, far from their usual dominance. With Liverpool pulling away and rivals gaining ground, Guardiola’s men will need to dig deep to rekindle their title ambitions as the season progresses.
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