In a dramatic turn of events, Crystal Palace managed a late comeback to draw 2-2 against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, leaving fans and managers with varied reactions. After falling 2-0 down, Jean-Philippe Mateta scored in the 76th minute, and Michael Olise converted a late penalty to secure the draw.
While Pep Guardiola, visibly frustrated, appealed to the fourth official, the legendary Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace’s manager, turned around and laughed directly at Guardiola, creating a viral moment on social media. Fans expressed their amusement, with one calling the clip a video they never knew they needed. Another hailed Hodgson’s laughter, stating it was legendary, and others dubbed him a national treasure.
Guardiola admitted his team’s inability to close out games, expressing frustration over giving away a late penalty and dropping two crucial points. He said, “It’s not bad luck, it’s deserved. We give away two points. When you give away this penalty, you deserve it. We are not able to close the games. That is the feeling. It’s like the penalty against Chelsea. We don’t deserve it. We were excellent, like against Liverpool and Spurs, but we were not able to win the games, so we are not consistent enough to close the games for many reasons.”
76-Year Old Roy Hodgson laughing in Pep Guardiola’s face after coming from 2-0 down to steal a 2-2 draw at the death. Legendary.pic.twitter.com/sBhuFWWBWP
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) December 16, 2023
Here is the highlight video of Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace, which ended with a 2-2 draw.
Crystal Palace performance and stats
Crystal Palace is currently 15th in the Premier League with 17 points.
In the last 17 games, it has won 4 times, drawn 5 times, and lost 8 times. In its last match, Crystal Palace drawn 2-2 against Manchester City.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 17 goals and conceding 25.
Crystal Palace will play the next match in Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 23rd of December in London.
Manchester City performance and stats
Manchester City is currently 4th in the Premier League with 34 points.
In the last 17 games, it has won 10 times, drawn 4 times, and lost 3 times. In its last match, Manchester City drawn 2-2 against Crystal Palace.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 40 goals and conceding 20.
Manchester City will play the next match in Premier League against Brentford on Saturday 23rd of December in Manchester.
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