Pep Guardiola has blamed Manchester City’s latest dropped points on injury absences rather than tiredness.
City have taken just four points from a possible 18 in their last six Premier League matches, and suffered their latest disappointing result on Saturday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
Goals from Erling Haaland and Rico Lewis saw them twice fight back from behind, but the latter was shown a red card late on which helped the Eagles hold on for a point at Selhurst Park.
City were already without Rodri, Phil Foden, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Oscar Bobb, before Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake were both left out after featuring in midweek in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
“We take the point,” said a disappointed Guardiola. “Again, like over the last eight or nine years, I’m incredibly proud of the players and how they fought and came back twice.
“Difficult conditions. Selhurst Park is always difficult. The weather conditions [were difficult] for both sides, not just for us.”
Asked whether his team were tired, he replied: No.”
Guardiola instead explained his side’s failure to win by saying: “We played the last 15 minutes with 10 [men] against 11. We have seven potential starting XI players injured. The physicality for Crystal Palace is there. But we did everything to try to win. Really proud and pleased for the players.”
Guardiola paid tribute to the good work done by Oliver Glasner since the Austrian first took charge of Palace in February.
“They were really good,” he said of the Eagles’ display against his side. “The way they finished last season, I was incredibly impressed. I’m so pleased for Glasner. He’s doing an incredible job. He is a lovely person.”
