Manchester City’s Winless Away Streak Continues With Draw Against Crystal Palace

Manchester City had to settle for a frustrating 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, marking their sixth consecutive winless outing away from home across all competitions.

A Rocky Start

Coming off a much-needed victory against Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, Manchester City approached this fixture with renewed confidence.

However, their optimism was quickly shattered just four minutes in when Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz scored an early opener. The Colombian winger capitalized on an exquisite through ball from Will Hughes, demonstrating poise and precision as he slotted a right-footed shot past City keeper Stefan Ortega.

Manchester City, as they often do, responded aggressively. They dominated possession and created several chances, with İlkay Gündoğan striking the woodwork in an impressive attempt. Erling Haaland, who has been the darling of City’s attack, also came close but was denied by a sharp save from Palace’s Dean Henderson.

City’s Rebound

Despite their early setback, the Premier League champions kept the pressure on Palace. After a series of intense attacks, Rúben Dias made a crucial defensive intervention to prevent Jefferson Lerma from extending Palace’s lead.

The pressure ultimately bore fruit just two minutes later. Haaland found the net, heading home Matheus Nunes’ perfectly floated cross to register his 13th league goal of the season, bringing City back on level terms before halftime.

Defensive Woes and Another Fightback

However, the second half brought new challenges for Manchester City. Just minutes after the restart, they once again fell behind when Palace defender Maxence Lacroix leaped over Kyle Walker to convert a towering header from Hughes’ corner kick.

Finding themselves behind, they rallied successfully, with young star Rico Lewis making an impressive impact. After being set up by Bernardo Silva, Lewis unleashed a spectacular strike from outside the box, finding the top corner and leveling the score at 2-2.

Down to Ten Men

Unfortunately for Lewis, his night took a turn for the worse when he received a second yellow card in the 84th minute for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah, leaving City with only ten men as they entered the final minutes of the game. Despite being a man down, City displayed grit, holding firm under pressure and securing a hard-fought point.

Mixed Emotions

The final whistle left Manchester City in fourth place, still eight points behind the top of the table after having played one more game than current leaders.

For Crystal Palace, the result was a positive one. They moved four points clear of the relegation zone and showcased their ability to battle against a heavyweight opponent.