Guardiola Unhappy with Players’ Performance
Manchester City faced a major setback in the Premier League title race, surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
In the second half, Rico Lewis scored his maiden top-flight goal, providing hope for City. However, Michael Olise’s 95th-minute penalty dashed those hopes, leaving City with just one point. Lewis emphasized that the team bears the responsibility for failing to secure the win.
Pep Guardiola expressed his dissatisfaction with his players, delivering a scathing assessment of their performance given the initial advantageous position. Despite goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis giving City a 2-0 lead until the 75th minute, slack defending allowed Crystal Palace to equalize.
Guardiola blasted his players for falling short of the title-winning standards they have set. Despite playing well for most of the game, Guardiola argued that the team didn’t deserve to win if they couldn’t close it out, emphasizing the importance of seeing games through.
Rico Lewis admitted that City has only themselves to blame for throwing away a two-goal lead. Michael Olise’s late penalty and Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s earlier goal resulted in a 2-2 draw. Jack Grealish and Lewis had initially given City a cushion amid a dominant display
City has now conceded 12 goals in six matches and remains winless in three home Premier League games for the first time since 2016. Positioned fourth in the table, they face the risk of falling further behind in the title race ahead of their trip to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup.