Manchester City 2-2 Crystal Palace: Last-gasp Michael Olise penalty sees Eagles come from two down to snatch point
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 16/12/2023 at 19:12 GMT
Manchester City were pegged back from 2-0 up in dramatic fashion to draw at home to Crystal Palace. The defending Premier League champions took control courtesy of a first half Jack Grealish strike and Rico Lewis' first Premier League goal after the break. However, Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled one back for the visitors, before Michael Olise buried a stoppage time penalty to earn Palace a point.
Olise scores for Palace against City
Image credit: Getty Images
Michael Olise converted a penalty deep in added time as a dogged Crystal Palace hit back from 2-0 down against Premier League champions Manchester City to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Jack Grealish had netted his third goal in three games on 24 minutes as City looked to move second in the table before Rico Lewis slammed home his first Premier League goal from inside the box for City's second on 54 minutes.
It was Jean-Philippe Mateta who began the unlikely Palace fightback by scoring from close range on 76 minutes from a fine Jeffrey Schlupp cross.
And Mateta won his side a penalty when he was clearly taken out late by Phil Foden with only minutes left on the clock to stun the City fans, who had watched their side dominate possession and chances without finding a killer third goal.
With City again missing the injured Erling Haaland, it was the excellent Grealish who combined with Foden to give his side a deserved lead by sliding the ball into the corner of the net from his England teammate's pinpoint pass.
But rather than progress to move second in the table, City remain fourth after their late collapse, three points behind leaders Liverpool, who host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's side – who had drawn with Liverpool (1-1) and Tottenham (3-3) in their two previous home league matches – head off to Saudi Arabia for the FIFA Club World Cup and a semi-final with Japan's Urawa Reds on Tuesday evening. Their next Premier League match is a trip to Everton on December 27.
Talking point: The break will do City good
There is no need for Pep to push the panic button, but it seems that even the greatest teams cannot cope without certain players.
You do wonder how many goals the injured Erling Haaland would have scored if he was on the pitch with City setting up camp inside the Palace half, but his absence was obviously felt as Roy Hodgson's team rode their luck and recovered strongly from 2-0 behind to earn a late 2-2 draw that nobody inside the ground could have predicted.
City have won only one of their past six league games, and will need to make sense of this before they head off to Saudi Arabia for the FIFA Club World Cup in midweek.
A fifth major trophy of the year to go alongside the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup will go some way to soothing their sense of frustration for failing to kill off Palace long before the end.
If they are successful in Saudi, the break should do them good.
Player of the match: Rico Lewis (Manchester City)
Handed a start in midfield ahead of Mateo Kovacic for City, and did not disappoint with a mature display alongside Rodri at the heart of the action for the home side as he scored his first Premier League goal for his boyhood club.
Appeared to have settled the three points for his side with a superb finish early in the second half, but the late, late chaotic passage of play that handed Palace a remarkable point should not detract from 19-year-old Lewis's obvious class.
Player ratings
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Dias 7, Ake 7, Gvardiol 7, Rodri 7, Lewis 8, Silva 7, Foden 6, Grealish 8, Alvarez 6 Subs: Stones 6
Crystal Palace: Henderson 8, Ward 6, Anderson 7, Guehil 7, Clyne 7, Mitchell 6, Riedewald 6, Richards 6, Olise 8, Schlupp 7, Mateta 8 Subs: Eze 7, Franca 7, Ahamada 7, Ozoh 7
Match highlights
24' GOAL FOR CITY! (GREALISH) Brilliant first goal from City. Had been coming for a long time as Foden threads a pass through to Grealish and he slips the ball into the corner of the net with Henderson unable to reach it diving to his left. Passes into the net.
54' GOAL FOR CITY! (LEWIS) A powerful finish from the young midfielder inside the box from the Grealish chip over the top. No chance for Henderson. Breaks off Rodri and he hammers the finish low into his net. His first Premier League goal. A 2-0 lead.
76' GOAL FOR PALACE! (MATETA) Well then. Palace back in the ball game as Jean-Philippe Mateta slides in to convert the loose ball from the Jeffrey Schlupp cross after a long pass from deep. Back to 2-1. Didn't see that coming.
90+2' PALACE HAVE A PENALTY! Mateta is brought down by Foden, who is late with the challenge inside the box. That is a penalty. Well, would you believe it! Two minutes left on the clock. VAR has agreed. Penalty to Palace.
90+5' PALACE LEVEL IT UP! (OLISE) A superb penalty from Olise. Slams the penalty into the corner of the net as Ederson heads in the other direction. That is remarkable. 2-2 in added time.
Key Stat
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article