Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola strongly criticised his team for their negligent defending and an unnecessary late-game penalty that led to a costly 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, asserting that they earned the result.
“It’s not bad luck; it’s deserved,” an angry Guardiola told reporters after the game. “We give away two points. When you give away this penalty, you deserve it. You see the chances we created and conceded—it’s quite similar to all this season—but we are not able to close the games. That is the feeling.”
City has displayed an unusual vulnerability recently, enduring a six-game
win. Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis found the net in the first half at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. However, Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled one back for Palace, and Michael Olise converted a penalty in the 95th minute after Phil Foden fouled Mateta in the box.
The draw left the treble winners in fourth place in the tightly contested title race with 34 points.
However, City has played one more game than the three teams above them: Liverpool, who top the table with 37 points, Arsenal, and Aston Villa, all scheduled to play on Sunday.
“At the end, be patient, don’t concede transitions and don’t concede,” Guardiola said of the disappointing result.”But of course, in the first action (Palace) run and score a goal and in the last minute, we give them (a penalty). In the 18-yard box, you have to be careful and we weren’t. We don’t deserve to win.”
City has relinquished nine points this season due to conceding goals after the 80th minute.
Compounding the team’s challenges is the absence of the league’s top scorer, Erling Haaland, who has missed two consecutive Premier League games with a stress reaction in his foot that could potentially progress into a more severe stress fracture.
The 23-year-old striker has amassed 14 league goals this season.