Manchester City dropped two valuable points against a defensively resolute Crystal Palace side at Selhurst Park in their Premier League meeting on Monday night.
Manchester City will rue their luck against Crystal Palace this season after failing to score a goal against them across two matches in the Premier League. The Cityzens succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the Etihad earlier in the season and were held to a goalless draw on Monday night.
Crystal Palace held their ground despite being pinned back for the majority of the game. Manchester City had 18 shots across 90 minutes, but could not find a way through. Jack Grealish created the best chance for City late in the match, only for Bernardo Silva to miss it from two yards out.
Vicente Guaita made some important saves, especially from Riyad Mahrez, to keep the scoreline intact. Late in the game, Manchester City’s high line allowed Palace to counter-attack, and the home side could have snatched a late winner themselves. But Odsonne Edouard and Conor Gallagher missed decent chances.
In terms of the result, these are two massive points dropped in the context of the title race for Manchester City. They have allowed Liverpool a chance to close the gap to one point with a win over Arsenal on Wednesday, which places more emphasis on the clash between the Premier League’s top two later at the Etihad.
Patrick Vieira’s record vs Crystal Palace as an Arsenal and Man City player:
▪️ 6 games
▪️ 3 wins
▪️ 3 draws
▪️ 0 defeatsPatrick Vieira’s PL record vs Arsenal and Man City as Crystal Palace manager:
▪️ 3 games
▪️ 1 win
▪️ 2 draw(s)
▪️ 0 defeatsInvincible™️ pic.twitter.com/eTseBWbcUj
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) March 14, 2022
Crystal Palace
Vicente Guaita – 8/10
Guaita was a key presence in the box as he made some important saves to keep the scoreline intact. A stop to keep out Mahrez and a late save to deny a close-range strike from Foden ensured Palace frustrated their visitors and earned a valuable clean sheet.
Nathaniel Clyne – 7/10
Clyne faced the double challenge of Grealish and Joao Cancelo on his flank, which was a mismatch on paper. However, the full-back contained the two threats well and ensured they had nothing to offer from out wide. There were a few nervy moments, although nothing transpired to create problems for Palace.
Joachim Andersen – 7/10
Andersen was a tremendous presence at the back, as he made some important contributions towards keeping the clean sheet. While he was defensively resolute, he was guilty of giving the ball away needlessly on a few occasions.
Marc Guehi – 8/10
A colossal performance from Palace’s captain on the night. Guehi made nine clearances to keep Man City at bay. His physical presence and awareness of the game were a huge benefit for the Palace defence against a fluid attacking side.
Tyrick Mitchell – 7/10
Mitchell looked tired late on – and understandably so – as he put in a solid defensive display to help his team contain waves of Man City attacks. While he may have found it hard against Mahrez, Mitchell never gave the Algerian a clear sight of goal.
Tyrick Mitchell's game by numbers vs. Man City:
100% duels won
100% tackle success
8 ball recoveries
5 clearances
4 tackles made
1 clean sheet
0 x dribbled past
0 fouls committedJust try and beat him. ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/MySCZOoZKu
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 14, 2022
Cheikhou Kouyate – 8/10
In arguably his best performance of the season, Kouyate broke up play regularly and used his physical presence against the likes of Rodri to seize control of the midfield at times. He also helped out his defenders and created a good chance for Edouard late in the game after a mazy run through several Man City players.
Jeffrey Schlupp – 7/10
Schlupp justified his selection and was an important presence in midfield. His energy and determination were evident as he helped Kouyate keep things tight in the middle of the park. He also helped Mitchell withstand the pressure created by Mahrez down Palace’s left side.
Conor Gallagher – 8/10
Gallagher was a positive influence on the side, as the midfielder always looked to attack the ball rather than pass or clear away any potential danger. There were times when the Chelsea loanee threatened to counter-attack and he found space to enter the final third areas on many occasions. He missed a good chance late in the game when he could have passed the ball to a teammate in a scoring position.
Conor Gallagher completed the most take-ons during Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City and no player on the pitch won more fouls:
◎ 8 total duels won
◉ 4 take-ons attempted
◉ 4 take-ons completed
◉ 3 fouls wonHe never stopped running. ? pic.twitter.com/3jrhFacOZY
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 14, 2022
Michael Olise – 6/10
Olise’s influence was limited to rare attacking forays whenever he got the ball at his feet. Quite understandably, the winger barely saw the ball as Man City had the Palace players pinned back in their own half with their attacking fluidity.
Jean-Philippe Mateta – 6.5/10
Mateta put in a solid, hard-working performance as he constantly looked for opportunistic moments to hurt the Manchester City defence. He was subbed off late in the game to allow Edouard to take over and provide fresh legs.
Wilfried Zaha – 6.5/10
Zaha was the leader of this Crystal Palace attack, but he often slowed the game down by keeping the ball at his feet for long periods. At times, he also made some dangerous runs to threaten the Man City defence and had one good effort saved by Ederson.
Substitutes
Odsonne Edouard – 6/10
After coming on, Edouard offered a fresh approach as he tried to force a somewhat tired Man City defence into making errors. Had a few moments where he threatened to score, and he should have taken one particular chance created by Kouyate late in the game.
Jordan Ayew – N/A
He replaced Olise and slotted in well to provide a decent outlet at times, although he barely saw the ball.
Manchester City
Ederson – 6/10
Palace had just one shot on target, so Ederson had a fairly quiet night in goal. He kept hold of one effort from Zaha late in the game and otherwise controlled the penalty area well.
Kyle Walker – 5/10
Walker should have made more of an effort to attack the ball and provide an outlet in the final third. In defence, he was sound and contained the threat posed by Zaha for most parts of the game.
Manchester City have drawn 0-0 in back-to-back matches for the first time under Pep Guardiola:
◉ City 0-0 Sporting
◉ Crystal Palace 0-0 CityIt's the first time it's happened since March 2016. ? pic.twitter.com/XdW1ZWMyxJ
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 14, 2022
John Stones – 6/10
Stones had a busy evening, as he was kept on his toes by the presence of Mateta. He made a late error, but fortunately for him, his headed back pass did not cost his team.
Aymeric Laporte – 6/10
Laporte had the best chance of the night to score from a set-piece, which he sent wide. He defended his area well and was well-positioned to deal with Palace’s direct passes.
Joao Cancelo – 6.5/10
Cancelo showed good awareness when attacking the ball, although he sometimes found it difficult going past Clyne. He struck the post before the break, which was all he could offer.
João Cancelo's first half by numbers against Crystal Palace:
47 passes
38 passes completed
8 final third entries
5 duels won
5 ball recoveries (=most)
2 aerial duels won
2 take-ons completedHe also rocketed a strike off the post from outside the box. ? pic.twitter.com/IyaXpvr8Xm
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 14, 2022
Rodri – 6/10
Rodri battled well with Kouyate in central midfield and kept his composure for most parts. In possession, the Spaniard was reliable as ever as he tried to influence the game through his distribution.
Kevin De Bruyne – 6.5/10
The Belgian was tipped to be the star of the match and although he tried to influence the game, he found it hard against Palace’s low block. De Bruyne also saw one close-range effort go wide when he should have done better with the chance.
Bernardo Silva – 4/10
Silva missed a sitter and should have done better with the chance Grealish created for him. Otherwise, the Portugal attacking midfielder lacked composure throughout the match and failed to have his usual influence in the attacking third.
Bernardo Silva: “Always the first 24 hours [after dropping points] you’re frustrated, a bit disappointed, then you move on to the next one. We’re still feeling a little frustrated about the game, but the team is doing well, behaving well, working very hard on the pitch…"
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) March 15, 2022
Riyad Mahrez – 6.5/10
Mahrez was one of City’s most dangerous players and came close to scoring, only for Guaita to save his effort. The winger was a great outlet and he constantly threatened to enter the box with his tricky work on the ball.
Phil Foden – 5/10
Foden floated around in the false-nine role, but failed to have any influence on the proceedings. It was a bad game for the young attacker, who will rue his lack of contribution in such an important game.
Jack Grealish – 6/10
Grealish had his dangerous moments when he ran through the Palace defence to create a few opportunities. He did fashion one of the best chances of the game, only for Silva to miss it late in the game.
