By Daily Sports Nigeria on March 15, 2022

Match report and free highlights as wasteful Manchester City drop two points in their quest to retain the Premier League title at Crystal Palace, handing Liverpool the chance to close the gap to one point when they visit Arsenal on Wednesday.

Manchester City handed the Premier League title initiative to Liverpool after they were held to a 0-0 draw by a dogged Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football.

At a rocking Selhurst Park, Palace were seeking a league double over City for the first time since 1987/88 in the second tier, and they put up a stiff resistance as Pep Guardiola's side were left frustrated by the stalemate.

City ran into an inspired Vicente Guaita, who brilliantly denied Riyad Mahrez with an instinctive save after Kevin De Bruyne struck the inside of the post just before the hour-mark.

It was the second time the visitors had struck the woodwork after Joao Cancelo's speculative shot in the first half cannoned off the upright before Aymeric Laporte blazed his rebound over the crossbar.

City kept pushing for a breakthrough in the second period but could not find a way past Guaita, meaning title rivals Liverpool can move one point behind them if they win their game in hand against Arsenal, live on Sky Sports on Wednesday evening.

Despite the dropped points, Man City forward Bernardo Silva still believes his side have the advantage in the race for the Premier League title over Liverpool.

"We couldn't score and we should've scored," Silva told Sky Sports after a frustrating evening at Selhurst Park.

"Nine games to go, but it's still better to be in our position than in Liverpool's and they have to play in our stadium so it's going to be exciting."

Despite 18 shots and 46 touches in the opposition box as part of 74 per cent possession, City were met by a red and blue wall. Palace became just the second side to stop Guardiola's side scoring home and away in a Premier League season after Manchester United in 2020/21.

The City boss insisted ahead of kick-off he was not motivated by the prospect of winning a treble but instead placed his focus on winning individual games - and there remains little margin for error in this absorbing battle for supremacy.

Guardiola anticipated a tricky encounter, especially given how Palace are one of only two teams to beat City this season following their 2-0 away win in October.

Patrick Vieira called on his team to play with personality in his programme notes, stressing the need to be clinical if his players were to emulate that shock success - and his side made a bright start with Jean-Philippe Mateta inviting Michael Olise to shoot following a swift break but the youngster's effort was narrowly off target.

"I thought about making changes, but they were playing well. The guys had the ability to score goals but, in the end, with the emotion and their people, we couldn't.

"We created more, conceded few, the stats are there. The way we played was amazing in a difficult stadium where the grass was not perfect. We had a good game. We have to win a lot of games. I have no regrets how we played.

"We don't need to draw here to know it [how tough it is to win the Premier League]."

Source Sky Sports

Posted March 15, 2022

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