Olise’s late penalty rocks Man City as Palace hold champions

MANCHESTER, Dec 17 — Pep Guardiola slammed sloppy Manchester City after their Premier League title defence suffered another blow as Crystal Palace fought back from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw thanks to Michael Olise’s last-gasp penalty on Saturday.

Guardiola’s side were in command after Jack Grealish put them ahead in the first half and Rico Lewis doubled the lead after the break.

But the champions stumbled in the second half at the Etihad Stadium as Jean-Philippe Mateta reduced the deficit in the closing stages before Olise converted his penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage-time.

City have won just once in six league games, having also drawn with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham and lost to Aston Villa prior to last Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Luton.

In what was their last match before heading to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, the result leaves them fourth in the table, three points behind leaders Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday.

“The games against Spurs, Liverpool, today, were excellent, but we were not able to win the game. What has happened is because we are not consistent enough to close the games, and many reasons,” Guardiola said.

“18-yard box, you have to be careful, and we were not. We don’t deserve to win.”

City’s bid for an unprecedented fourth successive title is in danger, although Guardiola will remind his players they came from eight points behind Arsenal to snatch the crown late last season.

‘It was deserved’

“It is not bad luck, it was deserved, we gave away two points. When you give this penalty, you deserve it,” Guardiola said.

“You see the chances we created, the chances we concede, it’s quite similar, except the Chelsea game, all this season. But we are not able to close the game.”

City next face Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, with the final taking place on Friday.

“Six, seven-hour flight with the result, just three days to recover, three days for a potential final. It is what it is,” Guardiola said.

“Now we are down and we lift as quick as possible and go to compete there.”

Once again without the injured Erling Haaland, City dominated the opening stages and Palace ‘keeper Dean Henderson did well to save a fifth-minute Julian Alvarez header.

City’s breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Phil Foden fed Grealish, and he slotted past Henderson for his third goal in as many league games — the effort standing after a lengthy VAR check for offside.

City had their second in the 54th minute as Grealish’s pass ricocheted off Rodri and the ball fell to Lewis for a close-range finish, the 19-year-old’s first Premier League goal being confirmed after a VAR review.

But Palace pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when a long ball found Jeffrey Schlupp and he supplied Mateta, who slid home to start the nerves jangling in Guardiola’s team.

Deep into stoppage time City fans’ fears were realised as Foden caught Mateta in the box, referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot, and Olise calmly dispatched the ball past Ederson.