Manchester City lose advantage in title race after dropping points against Crystal Palace
Manchester City have only lost one Premier League game since the start of November but Liverpool's imperious form means the Cityzens are not in a secure position.
Despite sitting at the top of the league table and holding a four-point lead over Jurgen Klopp’s side, the title race is at its closest in three years.
At the start of 2022, Manchester City seemed destined to wrap up their second successive league title after opening a 13-point gap between themselves and Liverpool.
However, some poor results in recent weeks, including a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and a draw against Southampton, have enabled Liverpool to claw their way back into a two-horse race.
And following Manchester City’s latest stalemate against Crystal Palace on Monday, the title race couldn't have been tighter than it currently is.
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Cityzens drop points
It's very rare for any side to completely shut out City and keep them from scoring, but the Cityzens have now gone back-to-back games without finding the back of the net.
They were held to a goalless draw in the Champions League round of 16 second-leg game against Sporting Lisbon, although that was a dead rubber encounter.
However, Monday's 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace was even more damaging and Guardiola's side have themselves to blame for that. They created all the chances but failed to convert.
The Cityzens were dominant, recording 18 shots and twice hitting the woodwork through Kevin De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo. Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte were also culpable for missing glorious opportunities.
Dropping points at this crucial stage of the season could come back to haunt Manchester City later on.
Crystal Palace have avoided defeat against Man City in a Premier League season for the first time since 1995.
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Manchester City lose advantage in title race
Manchester City's failure to beat Crystal Palace has seen them lose their advantage at the top of the Premier League table over Liverpool.
The Cityzens may currently be four points ahead, but Klopp's side have one game in hand. The Reds could cut their rivals' lead to just a point if they win their outstanding game against Arsenal on Wednesday.
"The guys who were playing were playing good, that's why I didn't make changes," Guardiola said in his post-match press conference, as quoted by Eurosport.
"We didn't score, that was the mistake. The team that was there today was there before and will be there in the next game. I am very pleased with the performance and the way we played.
"There are still many games to play, we have to win a lot of games but the way we played, there are no regrets about the team. We would have preferred to win of course but the game was well played."
Indeed, there are many more games to be played but City have themselves to blame for throwing away their assured lead. They'll now have to keep looking over their shoulders as Liverpool close in.