Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to four matches with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester City at Selhurst Park.
With their morale high after a 1-0 win at Ipswich, Palace made one change to the lineup, replacing Cheick Doucoure with Jefferson Lerma following his tough outing against the Tractor Boys.
Palace started the match in style, taking the lead in the opening minutes. Will Hughes picked up the ball in midfield and threaded a perfect pass through to Daniel Munoz.
The Colombian capitalized on the opportunity, running one-on-one with City goalkeeper Stefen Ortega and slotting it past him for his second goal in as many games at home.
City responded quickly, with Kevin De Bruyne playing a sublime pass to Erling Haaland in the seventh minute. However, Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was on hand to produce a magnificent save, keeping his team ahead.
The Eagles’ attacking style kept them on the front foot. Eberechi Eze found space in midfield, threading dangerous passes over the top of City’s defense.
Palace continued to create chances, with the hosts outplaying City in key moments. Despite City’s efforts, Palace looked the more dangerous side going forward.
A great opportunity for City came when Ilkay Gundogan’s left-footed shot struck the post inside the box, but Palace remained resolute.
The hosts had another promising attack in the 29th minute, moving the ball quickly through the City defense. Jefferson Lerma fired a shot at goal, but Ruben Dias managed to block it, denying Palace a second goal.
Just two minutes later, City made Palace pay for their missed chances. Mathues Nunes sent a cross into the box, and Haaland rose above Marc Guehi to head home, leveling the score at 1-1.
As the first half drew to a close, City began to assert more control, but Palace showed great resilience, with their first-half display demonstrating they were unafraid to take on the champions. The Eagles went into the break with a commendable performance, holding City to a draw.
The second half started with City on top, dominating possession without creating many clear-cut chances. However, Palace struck again in the 54th minute.
A perfect corner from Will Hughes found Maxence Lacroix, who powered a header past City goalkeeper Moreno to put Palace ahead once more.
But Palace’s lead was short-lived. City’s quick passing found Rico Lewis unmarked in the box, and he calmly fired into the top corner, leveling the score at 2-2. With momentum now on their side, City pushed for a winner. Henderson made another crucial save to deny Savinho’s powerful shot.
Palace then made substitutions to strengthen their defensive shape, bringing on Justin Devenny for Eze and Eddie Nketiah for Ismaila Sarr. Palace continued to defend valiantly, with standout performances from Hughes, Lacroix, Lerma, and Mateta.
In the final minutes, a mistake from Lewis gave Palace a chance to snatch all three points. Lewis, who had just scored to level the game, fouled Trevoh Chalobah, earning his second yellow card and a sending off.
Palace had late opportunities, including a four-on-two counter-attack and an effort from Devenny inside the box, but they were unable to convert.
Despite two corners in stoppage time, Palace couldn’t capitalize, and the match ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw. On reflection, it was a fair result, with both teams creating plenty of chances.
For Palace, it was a strong performance against one of the league’s best, continuing their positive start to the festive period with a well-earned point.
