City struggle for fluency as Palace halt winning run
Crystal Palace halted Manchester City’s pursuit of a record-equalling 19th successive league victory by holding them to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park yesterday.
On only the second occasion this season that City have dropped points in the Premier League, they were even fortunate to avoid defeat by opponents they beat 5-0 in September after Luka Milivojevic missed a late penalty.
Their 18 consecutive victories already represented a Premier League record, but Palace’s resilience means they fell one short of the European record set by Bayern Munich, also then managed by Pep Guardiola, in 2014. However, City remain in first place and 14 points ahead of Chelsea, their closest challengers.
After a promising start, City began to struggle for their usual fluency.
Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt tested Ederson with a powerful strike from 25 yards that forced the goalkeeper to tip wide, but the visitors otherwise frequently stretched Roy Hodgson’s team and were a constant threat on the counter.
Scott Dann cynically brought down Kevin De Bruyne on the edge of the area in the 19th minute, despite having so little chance of winning the ball, and hurt himself making the challenge. The stand-in captain had to be taken off on a stretcher. When De Bruyne then fed Jesus, who turned on the edge of area before seeing his low shot comfortably saved by the recalled Wayne Hennessey, it seemed a further sign of their growing momentum but instead proved the opposite.
Jesus was almost immediately substituted in tears, and though Sergio Aguero then came on their goal threat was not the same thereafter.
Raheem Sterling and Yaya Toure were introduced as second-half substitutes, but only with a half-volley by Sane that struck Hennessey in the face did they come close to scoring.
Wilfried Zaha was brought down by Sterling in the penalty area, but City were not punished as Milivojevic unconvincingly struck his effort down the centre of Ederson’s goal, leaving the Brazilian with a comfortable save, ensuring that even if City’s winning run was coming to an end, they remain unbeaten in the league.
Jay Rodriguez’s last-minute penalty earned struggling West Brom a deserved point against uninspiring Arsenal.
The striker netted after Calum Chambers handled in the area to clinch a 1-1 draw just as it looked like Alexis Sanchez had given the Gunners victory.
The forward’s deflected free-kick put Arsenal ahead with seven minutes left in boss Arsene Wenger’s recordbreaking 811th Premier League game in charge.