Pep Guardiola didn’t get worried about Manchester City’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Monday, even though they wasted a lot of chances. It hurt their chances of winning the Premier League.
Guardiola’s team had 18 shots and 74% possession, but they left Selhurst Park after a string of missed opportunities on a big night in the title race.
READ MORE: As a late winner sinks Newcastle, Kai Havertz lifts Chelsea’s spirits.
Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte made the most glaring mistakes, with Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita making several saves to keep the leaders from getting too close to Palace.
After beating Brighton on Saturday, the city is now only four points ahead of second-place Liverpool.
If Liverpool wins their game in hand against fourth-placed Arsenal on Wednesday, they will be just one point behind City.
He didn’t show any signs of losing his cool, though. Guardiola said he was happy with how City played and they’re doing in the title race.
“We played a good game and had a lot of chances, but we didn’t score.” He said: “Sometimes, things happen.”
“Of course, I would rather have won, but the way we played in a difficult stadium with a lot of grass that wasn’t perfect was great.”
It’s not over yet. There are still many games to play. We have to win a lot, but we don’t regret how we played as a team.
Given Liverpool’s recent hot streak, the stalemate in south London could give Merseyside more power than the rest of the country.
Liverpool has been so relentless that City needs to be perfect to keep them at bay.
This draw and the defeat against Tottenham have made them more vulnerable to the Reds’ long-term attack.
“Luck doesn’t work in football.” We need to score goals, but we didn’t do it, Guardiola told us.
Before the goalless Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon last week, Guardiola made many changes.
He brought Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez to play with the team that won the Manchester derby.
Manager Pep Guardiola said that because Palace was so dangerous, City would treat the match like a “final.”
City lost 2-0 in October to Palace when they played at the Etihad Stadium.
Mahrez tried to set the tone when he cut inside to the edge of the Palace area and attempted to curl a shot that went wide.
City frustration
De Bruyne fired a shot that hit the post, but Silva should have hit the target after Guaita saved it.
Instead of shooting, Silva ran around the Palace goalkeeper and looked on in horror as the ball went out for a goal kick.
John Stones was inches away with a 25-yard rocket deflected wide, while Riyad Mahrez tried to get Guaita on the ground with a low shot.
De Bruyne swung an outrageous shot over his shoulder, which Guaita had to palm away. Then Laporte made a terrible mistake.
Laporte was completely unguarded when Joao Cancelo’s powerful strike hit the post and bounced back to him.
The goal was right in front of him, but he somehow managed to shoot high over the bar from a close range.
Guardiola’s team came forward in waves during the first half, but Palace didn’t let the floodgates open.
Mahrez, who also shot narrowly wide at the end of the first half, tried to score again, but Guaita saved him again.
Soon after the break, De Bruyne hit the post very tight. Mahrez then fired the rebound over the bar.
Camped out in Palace’s half, the City was visibly frustrated with Palace’s stubbornness as they tried to move.
After Silva tried to reach Jack Grealish’s cross, he held his head in his hands but couldn’t get it. It went across goal.
No one in City could deal with Palace’s well-organized defence, but Pep Guardiola’s decision not to make a substitution was a little weird.
People were playing well, so I thought a lot about making changes, but they were still good.
In Guardiola’s words: “The guys in the team were able to score.”
By the time Grealish’s shot was blocked, City looked like they knew what was going to happen.
Laporte could only head De Bruyne’s free-kick tamely at Guaita.
