Olise’s 95th-minute penalty denies Manchester City and caps Palace comeback

Phil Foden will not wish to see a replay of the hoof to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shin that felled Crystal Palace’s centre-forward in Manchester City’s area and had Paul Tierney pointing to the spot deep in added time.

The referee was correct: Foden’s agricultural challenge was a cast-iron penalty and up stepped Michael Olise with cucumber-cool to roll the ball past Ederson to the goalkeeper’s right for the equaliser.

After the restart Palace soon again roved up the champions’ end and might have grabbed the winner, City thwarting a late late corner. It was, though, a classic rope-a-dope comeback from the visitors who were 2-0 behind after 76 minutes.

Rodri and Foden combination and touches kept city on advantage. City missed several good opportunities 10 minutes into the first half, but couldn’t get the ball back of the net.

Manchester City opened scoring 23rd minutes after much scoring opportunities by City. Grealish’s curler was nearly ruled out for offside. It looked like that from one angle. But another proves all was well. The goal stands.

EPL: Premier League Results 

Bournemouth 1-1 Luton Town (Abandoned)

Chelsea 2-0 Sheffield United 

Manchester City 2-2 Crystal Palace 

Newcastle United 3-0 Fulham

Ward was substituted first half because of a knee injury he had and was replaced by Ozoh. Roy Hudson said Ward will be out for 3 weeks.

2nd half Alvarez scored from a set pace, but the VAR ruled out for an offside.

Rico Lewis volleys home to double City’s lead, minutes after Julian Alvarez thought he’d scored direct from a free kick. Rodri’s interference chalked that one off. But the champions go two up after all.

Crystal Palace scored their first goal, Jean-Philippe Mateta taps in to halve Palace’s deficit.

Championship full-times

• Bristol City 1-0 Sunderland 
• Hull City 3-0 Cardiff City 
• Ipswich Town 2-2 Norwich City 
• Leeds United 1-1 Coventry City 
• Millwall 1-1 Huddersfield Town 
• Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Rotherham United 
• (L) Preston North End 1-5 Watford 
• Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 QPR 
• Southampton 4-0 Blackburn Rovers 
• Swansea City 1-2 Middlesbrough

At that juncture Jack Grealish’s first-half strike had appeared to send City on the way to their Saturday night flight to the Fifa Club World Cup in the rosiest of moods. He did what he has never done before: register in three successivePremier Leaguegames.

This impressed the watching Gareth Southgate, as, too, did Rico Lewis, whose scoring instinct had him deep in Crystal Palace’s area to hammer in City’s second on 54 minutes, after a sublime touch from Foden.

The midfielder also created City’s opener on a good day for Southgate to be here as Marc Guéhi had a lead part in Palace’s first. The defender lifted a sweet 60-yard ball into Jeffrey Schlupp who outpaced Rúben Dias and slid the ball in from the left for Mateta to beat Ederson at close range.

Palace’s comeback means City could be up to 12 points behind the leaders Liverpool by the next time they play – on 27 December, at Everton – due to their Club World Cup commitments.

On Tuesday at 7pm at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s men take on Urawa Red Diamonds, of Japan’s J-League, in the Club World Cup semi-finals, and will have to shake off this disappointment quickly.