Etihad Stadium, Manchester – Saturday, December 16, 2023
Manchester City and Crystal Palace played out an electrifying 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with referee Paul Tierney overseeing the eventful match.
City took the lead in the 24th minute through Jack Grealish, assisted by Phil Foden, setting the tone for a competitive first half that ended 1-0 in favor of the hosts. In the second half, Rico Lewis extended City’s lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute, seemingly putting the game beyond Palace’s reach.
However, Palace mounted a remarkable comeback, starting with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal in the 76th minute, assisted by Jeffrey Schlupp. The climax of the match came in the 90+5th minute when Michael Olise converted a penalty, equalizing the score and capping off a dramatic comeback.
The match saw its share of cautions, with yellow cards issued to Ederson and Joachim Andersen in the 40th and 42nd minutes respectively. Both teams made tactical substitutions, with notable changes including Jairo Riedewald and Jeffrey Schlupp making way for Naouirou Ahamada and Matheus França for Palace, and Rico Lewis being replaced by John Stones for City.
The draw showcased both teams’ resilience, with City’s early dominance being matched by Palace’s fighting spirit in a thrilling Premier League encounter.
