‘It’s a season to survive’: Guardiola all but gives up Manchester City’s title bid
- City manager praises players despite dropping two points
- He laments loss of Rico Lewis for Manchester derby
Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City face an uphill battle – “a season to survive” – to retain their Premier League title after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace.
City avoided a sixth straight away defeat in all competitions after Erling Haaland and Rico Lewis equalised Crystal Palace’s goals from Daniel Muñoz and Maxence Lacroix. But Lewis, who filled in at left-back after injuries ruled out Nathan Aké and Manuel Akanji, is set to miss next Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad after being shown a second yellow card in the 84th minute, reducing the visitors to 10 men at Selhurst Park.