Fernandinho misfires as Palace claim draw
manchester City 2 Aguero (82, 87) Crystal palace 2 Tosun (39), Fernandinho (90, og)
It was the eighth time City – across three draws and five defeats – had dropped points in a disappointing title defence this season
“I think we did everything,” said City manager Pep Guardiola, who was denied to chance to celebrate his 49th birthday with a victory.
“They defended so deep. We knew that, so we attacked – crosses and corners, put the ball inside. They didn’t do much, but they win one point.
“The spirit was there. We tried and we tried. At the end we came back and it was a pity to drop two points in this way, but that is football and we have to learn from these situations.”
Palace’s late leveller – which overshadowed Sergio Aguero taking his record City goal tally to 251 – came as Wilfried Zaha got the better of John Stones to cross, and the ball took an unfortunate ricochet off Fernandinho.
Guardiola claimed the goal was down to bad decisions rather than mistakes.
He said: “The concentration is always there. It was just a wrong decision and we are going to solve it and improve it.
“In those positions, with the back four there, you have to not let them run. It is simple. In this situation we cannot let them run in this counter-attack.”
City, who also hit the frame of the goal through Kevin De Bruyne, were awarded a penalty for handball against Jairo Riedewald, but the decision was overturned by VAR.
“I don’t know the rule of the hand,” Guardiola said. “It looks like hands, but I don’t know.”
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson felt his side deserved the draw for their endeavours.
Hodgson said: “It would have been cruel to have lost it. I thought we held out well and our defence was strong until the equaliser in the 82nd minute.
“That came after a fine piece of play – the cross and movement from Aguero. There are certain goals you just have to hold you hands up and say you just don’t know what you could have done better to have stopped that.
“Then for them to get the second so soon afterwards, it looked like all our hard work would have been pretty much in vain.
“It was wonderful to see the lads not give up and not accept what many people would have though should have been their fate, and get an equaliser. In the end I am happier with 2-2 than 1-1.”
The frantic closing stages aside, City were controlled and dominant in possession. They did not lay siege to the Palace goal, but they patiently carved
out a number of chances. Palace seemed more intent on taking time out of the game than attacking, with Vicente Guaita noticeably slow to take goalkicks.
It came as a surprise when Palace snatched the lead, against the run of play, six minutes before halftime, but City, not for the first time, were exposed at a set-piece.
James Mcarthur’s corner was met by a firm header back across the area by Gary Cahill, and Cenk
Tosun diverted past Ederson with a strong header of his own.
Things might have got worse for City almost immediately afterwards as Tosun caught Ederson outside his area, but the Turk tripped Fernandinho in the muddle.
City thought they had been handed a lifeline 19 minutes from time when Graham Scott awarded them a penalty for handball by Jairo Riedewald. That was quickly extinguished, however, as VAR ruled the handling was accidental after Joao Cancelo’s cross had initially struck his leg.
Aguero finally broke through when he slid in at the far post in the 82nd minute to turn in a Jesus cross for his 250th City goal.
He then sparked jubilant celebrations when he guided in a header moments later.
It was not the be the final word, however, as Zaha drove forward and forced the unlikely equaliser.