Ederson’s penalty save preserves City’s unbeaten record
Crystal Palace, which missed a stoppage-time penalty, became only the second team to take points off Manchester City in the Premier League this season when it held the runaway leader to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
City, which drew 1-1 with Everton in August, extended its unbeaten run to 21 matches this season, but its winning streak was halted at 18 by a resolute Palace defense despite throwing everything at the hosts in a dominant second half.
Palace earned a penalty in stoppage time when Raheem Sterling brought down Wilfried Zaha, but the normally reliable Luka Milivojevic had his spot kick saved by Ederson.
With Palace defending high and breaking fast, the closest that City came to a goal was when substitute striker Sergio Aguero’s shot took a slight deflection off a defender and hit the post midway through the first half.
Aguero had come on for Gabriel Jesus, who was the second player to come off injured after Palace captain Scott Dann - and the third altogether with City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne carried off in added time, meaning City finished the match with 10 men.
“Gabriel will be out for a little bit more than one month,” manager Pep Guardiola said. “Kevin, we will see tomorrow. Referees have to protect the players, that is all I ask.”
Belgium international De Bruyne, who has been instrumental to City’s success this season, suffered the injury after a collision with Palace’s Jason Puncheon in stoppage time at Selhurst Park and left the pitch on a stretcher, with his right leg in a brace.
Earlier in the match, Jesus landed awkwardly and had to be withdrawn.
He made his way to the dressing room in tears, consoled by City’s medical staff.
Chasing a third straight 5-0 win against Palace, City’s top two goalscorers Sterling and Aguero - were both left on the bench, but that did not stop City threatening Wayne Hennessey’s Palace goal on his return to the starting line-up from the off, with Bernardo Silva drilling wide two minutes in.
Palace slowly grew into the match and a mix-up between City goalkeeper Emerson and defender Eliaquim Mangala presented Christian Benteke with the chance to break the deadlock, but Mangala recovered well to block.
Aguero then came within inches of scoring five minutes later but his deflected strike came out off the post.
After the break, City really started to find its rhythm, and, after a fine, flowing move, Ilkay Gundogan curled just wide of Hennessey’s goal before the Palace stopper did brilliantly to block Leroy Sane’s effort.
Palace rode the storm and had a golden chance to snatch victory with 13 minutes left but Andros Townsend blazed over the top, before the roof nearly came off Selhurst Park as Zaha won Palace a penalty - until Milivojevic fluffed his lines.
“It is frustrating of course (to miss the late penalty),” Palace boss Roy Hodgson said. “I think that at a moment like this it is better to concentrate on the performance and how well we played.”
Premier League action continues on Monday with five matches. Liverpool looks to keep rolling when it visits Burnley, while Manchester United aims to snap a three-match winless streak when it visits Everton.
United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the game, with manager Jose Mourinho confirming that he will be sidelined for a month with a knee injury. The former Sweden international was not in Saturday’s squad as Mourinho’s men were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Southampton at Old Trafford - United’s third successive draw.
Ibrahimovic was re-signed by United in the summer, having departed the club at the end of last season, and overcame meniscus and cruciate ligament damage to return to action in late November.
However, Mourinho, who saw Romelu Lukaku carried off on a stretcher during Saturday’s encounter, said Ibrahimovic is set for another injury layoff.
“We lost Ibrahimovic for a month, he stops his run to recovery, he has been running for many months, what he needs is to play,” Mourinho said.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Ashley Young was charged with violent conduct by the English Football Association (FA) on Sunday after his altercation with Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic.
Young appeared to strike Tadic with an elbow during Saturday’s 0-0 draw.
“Young’s charge follows an incident during Saturday’s game against Southampton which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video,” the FA said in a statement.
Swansea defender Kyle Naughton has also been charged with violent conduct by the FA for allegedly stamping on Watford’s Stefano Okaka during the Welsh side’s 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road on Saturday. (Reuters)