Visiting Selhurst Park was always set to be a challenging task for Pep Guardiola's City. With every team eager to claim maximum points, the home side delivered an impressive performance that pushed the reigning champions to their limits, forcing them to dig deep late in the match to salvage a point.
First Half
Both sides began the game to score early however it was Palace that made good use of their first chance when English midfielder Will Hughes threaded a neat through pass which Munoz latched onto and dispatched in the bottom left side of the goal to give the home side an early led.
City started to generate a lot of momentum by holding the ball for long periods to force Palace out but they remained resolute in defending and maintaining their shape. In the 30th minute, Mattheus Nunes played a beautiful cross which Haaland headed from the centre of the box to the left-hand corner of the post to make it 1-1. Iikay Gundogan struck the bar before halftime.
Second Half
City started the second half in control once more, but it was Palace who broke the deadlock through Maxence Lacroix. In the 55th minute, Hughes delivered a precise corner that found Lacroix surging forward, and the centre-back powered a close-range header past Ortega, leaving him with no chance.
However, City once again rose to the occasion after falling behind—this time through an unexpected source in Lewis. A swift 68th-minute move began with a drop ball in Palace's half. Kevin De Bruyne played it to Bernardo Silva, who delivered a sublime pass to the onrushing Rico Lewis.
The England defender unleashed a spectacular shot into the top left corner, levelling the score in style. However, the England defender was later shown a red card after receiving a second booking for a foul on Trevor Chalobah. This decision will see Lewis miss next weekend's Manchester derby.
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