In a gripping encounter that highlighted the ongoing struggles of Manchester City, the reigning English champions were forced to settle for a frustrating 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The game marked City’s eighth failure to secure a win in their last nine matches, a troubling statistic that has raised concerns about their title defense.
The match saw City come from behind twice, with goals from Erling Haaland and rookie Rico Lewis canceling out efforts from Palace’s Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix. However, Lewis’s afternoon ended on a sour note as he received a red card, ruling him out of the crucial Manchester derby next weekend against rivals Manchester United.
The young defender’s dismissal only added to Pep Guardiola’s growing defensive woes, with key players such as John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji all unavailable due to injury.
With a squad already stretched thin, City’s bench featured five youngsters from their academy, underscoring the pressing need for reinforcements as injuries continue to plague the squad. Bernardo Silva voiced his frustration post-match, emphasizing the toll of the injury crisis on the team’s performance.
“We have to solve our problem in terms of injuries. That’s so, so important,” Silva stated. “If the squad is this short, then it is always so difficult for all the players to play three days after three days. With a squad of 20 players, if you only have 13 available, it is not good enough.”
As Pep Guardiola prepares his team for a crucial Champions League clash against Italian giants Juventus on Wednesday, he remains proud of his players’ resilience. “I’m so proud of the team. I liked everything about how we fought,” Guardiola remarked. “We had a lot of problems with our squad, but we gave everything and we take a point.”
The pressure is on for City as they navigate an intense schedule filled with injuries, dwindling form, and the looming presence of their fiercest rivals, Manchester United.
