(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Man City - Crystal Palace

City play their last Premier League game for 11 days, in the knowledge that a victory would take them up to second in the table, just a point behind the early pace setters Liverpool. They face a Crystal Palace team who, though winless in their last five Premier League games, have regularly proven complicated opponents here at the Etihad Stadium. Diaz, plays it out wide to Bernardo Silva, Bernardo Silva, wide on this near side, Alvarez! And that's a brilliant save by Henderson. Alvarez with a little, sort of stooping, little glancing header, almost into the corner of the net, and Henderson makes a terrific save. He can't do any more for me, Alvarez, he can't do any more, he's on target, to the corner, what a save. Here's Grealish, inside the middle third, just about on the edge of the final third, lays it off to Diaz, Diaz plays it out wide to Bernardo Silva, Mitchell comes to engage him, on it goes to Lewis, Lewis across the face of the goal, Rodrigo! It took a deflection and went inches by the post, I'm not sure Gray knew too much about that, hit him and span away, it could easily have gone in, it spanned by the post. Great run from Rico Lewis, then you're just gambling. What a great, great block. Grealish now, goes backwards to Diaz, Diaz, plenty of room in front of Diaz, lays it across to Foden, Foden into the gap, Grealish, 1-0! It was a matter of patience, a lovely slip-ball through, and Grealish, who scored against Luton, scored against Spurs, has now scored against Crystal Palace, and unless VAR say there was an offside in the build-up, City lead 1-0. That's gonna be dotted lines, I'm afraid. That is dotted line time, I'm afraid, we might have a very tight call here. They've still not drawn the line, so I can't tell you if it's on or off, they've still not drawn any of the lines they have to put out to determine. It's a green line, it is a goal, City lead 1-0! Confirmation, it's 1-0 to the Blues, the green line came across, not the red one, and that means it's a City goal. Great appreciation from Phil Foden, just in the little half-space again, always seems at the moment that Phil Foden is that person who can pick the lot. Yeah, it's a great play. And now Guardiola's through the middle! Well, of all players, Guardiola was suddenly one-on-one as if he was Erling Haaland, and he went in, hit the shot, but it was straight at Henderson. That was just a through ball over the top of all players, Guardiola was down the middle and he just battered it at Henderson, and it was too close to the goalkeeper who made an important save. Trying to get beyond Mitchell, he plays it to Walker, Walker goes back to Bernardo again, Bernardo getting towards the edge of the penalty area, he scoops in across, it's a high one, headed away. As far as Guardiola, who hits it low and took a deflection, goes out for Henderson that helps it round the post. It's thrown into the box, it's that second phase, so do put it in there. This is brilliant. Not sure who's got the save on it, but across his body, and then we believe he's left-footed and it's a tremendous mistake. But yeah, it's a good save. It's in a shot, oh! It ripples the outside of the netting. Wow, he hit that with tremendous power. Henderson hurled himself at it, couldn't get close, but fortunately for Palace it brushed the outside of the net. Now there's a chance for a break and it's a ball forward, Ederson comes and makes a sliding tackle, and he's got yellow carded. Well, he came sliding out, he was kind of the last man, there was a covering defender behind him. Palace are saying, is that not a red card offence against Ederson? A couple of City players behind him. It's a foul on Mateta, just outside the penalty area, and Ederson's been booked for it. Well, this is the Palace game plan in a nutshell. Hang in there, stay in touch, do what you can, and then try and make something, maybe from a set-piece. Well, they have the opportunity right now, and he comes up, hits it, Ederson! Can't be on the net, as they did in the first half. We have it with Ruben Diaz about midway inside the Palace line. One comes to engage with him, so he goes backwards to Ake, on it goes to Grealish, Grealish wide on the left, but not as far wide as Cardiol, goes in the field to Ake, Ake, not wide to Grealish, Grealish now gets towards the area, he's fouled by Omid Saeed. Crossing position free kick, about 30 metres from goal. Crossing free kick, plenty forward to try and get on the end of the delivery, Alvarez drives it in, and it's gone all the way in! One of those free kicks that you put into an area, you hope someone's going to get a touch, nobody did, and it went straight into the back of the net. Offside, let's have a look. Alvarez drives it in, there's no question of offside, he is offside, I can see it. They're gonna have to give it, it was Rodri. Yeah, they're gonna have to give it, because Rodri had just darted in too soon to try and get a flick on, and I think they'll have to give that. Rodri was interfering. On it goes to Walker, staying at 1-0 here, disallowed goal, Alvarez's direct free kick went straight in, Rodri was in an offside position in front of Henderson, and because he was in the view of the goalkeeper, I'm afraid it does count as offside. Now Greenwich comes forward, on it goes towards Foden, he almost reaches Lewis, and he does! And Rico Lewis turns it in! It's his first ever Premier League goal, he has scored in the Champions League, he's now scored in the Premier League, and what a week for the academy. Yeah, brilliant. Jack just drives inside, receives the ball, goes out wide here for Mackie, and then he drops it short, it goes fast. It's obviously an element of good fortune, it hits a player, drops in there. Terrific finish, and City have a clear advantage. The ball is with Greenwich, Greenwich inside to Ake, Ake on to Foden, Foden took it beautifully on the half-turn, he breaks for Bernardo Silva, first-time shot! Great save Henderson, really terrific bending shot from Bernardo Silva, Henderson made the save and then... Well, he just walloped to the floor and he's hurting. That's a brilliant save. They've got it with Mateta at the moment, Crystal Palace, and it goes to Riyad Abab, and then Ozil. It's been laid forward into the gap, and the flag has stayed down, and there's a chance here, through on goal potentially, and they've turned it into the back of the net through Mateta! And there you go! The way the game's gone, that just can't happen, I'm afraid that cannot happen. They've just got Square, Diaz and Kyle Walker got themselves in a bad position. We were wondering how Crystal Palace were going to find their way back into this game, having offered nothing in the second half, they've just showed you how they're going to do it. Here's Guardiola, Guardiola plays it inside to Lewis, Lewis helps it out to the right side to Bernardo Silva, sitting into the penalty area, Bernardo Silva hits a bending shot, and it's carried away by Henderson. Had a good game today, Dean Henderson, his first Premier League appearance since January because of injury. Now Foden, can he scamper away? Foden, he's lost the ball, dangerous part of the pitch to lose it. Now Palace have got it, scooped into the gap, and there's a chance here, Matthias Franke in the area, ball comes across to the far side, and it's headed away by Walker with Mateta waiting. Goodness me, danger there for the Blues. Bernardo Silva now in the right-back position, loses it to Mateta, no foul says the referee, City win it back, and then they go down, and the referee's given a penalty to Crystal Palace. Can you believe it? A penalty to Crystal Palace. Let's have a look, the ball comes in, Mateta tries to win it off Foden, and Foden, Alise to make it 2-2, a game that you would never in a million years have predicted the outcome of. Alise up against Edison, and he's tucked it in. You just cannot believe it. Three matches in a row at the Etihad Stadium, City have led, and Spurs, Liverpool, and now Crystal Palace have got an equaliser, and Paul Tierney blows the whistle, and the final score is City 2, Crystal Palace 2.