In a shocking turn of events at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City experienced a late-game meltdown against Crystal Palace, squandering a comfortable 2-0 lead and settling for a 2-2 draw in what was supposed to be a routine victory. Pep Guardiola's side, seemingly on cruise control, fell victim to a lapse in concentration that allowed the daring Eagles to capitalize in the dying minutes.
The dominance displayed by the treble winners for most of the match, marked by goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis, had them poised for an easy triumph. However, as the clock wound down, thoughts of the impending Club World Cup seemed to distract the players, and Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta took advantage, netting their first shot on target.
The situation escalated when Phil Foden fouled Mateta in the box, conceding a penalty that Michael Olise converted with composure, securing a point for Palace. The unexpected turn of events left the City players stunned and dealt a blow to their confidence just before heading to the Club World Cup.
The post-match player ratings from Goal provide a detailed analysis of the key contributors and lapses:
Goalkeeper & Defence:
- Ederson faced little action until Mateta's strike but couldn't prevent the late collapse.
- Kyle Walker's lapses in the final minutes contributed to City's failure to secure the win.
- Ruben Dias showed strength and adventure but failed to pick up Mateta during the crucial moment.
- Nathan Ake, commanding for most of the game, lost composure towards the end.
- Josko Gvardiol contributed to City's attack but wasn't to blame for the late collapse.
- Bernardo Silva, a class act, played a crucial role in City's domination but will be furious about the squandered lead.
- Rodri, brilliant in all aspects, couldn't prevent the late collapse.
- Rico Lewis, despite his outstanding performance and first Premier League goal, was unfairly marked by the late collapse.
- Phil Foden played brilliantly but lost a mark for conceding the last-gasp penalty.
- Julian Alvarez failed to capitalize on Haaland's absence, and his disallowed goal added to City's frustration.
- Jack Grealish, playing superbly and scoring, was let down by his teammates in defense.
- John Stones came on in the 95th minute, but his impact was limited.
- Pep Guardiola, given a 5/10 rating, was criticized for not making timely substitutions to secure the win, shouldering some blame for the late collapse.
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