Pep's pride at injury-hit City's fighting spirit

Match Report

Ten-man City share the spoils at Crystal Palace

City went into the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park still missing a number of key players through injury and illness.

The match in south London was also played against the backdrop of appalling weather with Strom Darragh bringing incessant rain and driving winds to south London with the visitors also reduced to 10 men late in the second half after  Rico Lewis was shown a second yellow card

However, the champions dug deep to twice fight back from falling behind with Erling Haaland and Lewis both on target to cancel out goals from Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix to ensure we took a point - the very least we deserved from the afternoon.

And addressing the media in his post-match press conference the City boss spoke of his admiration for the way his players never took a backward step in spite of numerous testing obstacles.

“We take the point. I’m proud of the players for how they fought and came back twice in difficult conditions – for both sides, not just for us,” Guardiola said.

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“But we fought hard as always, and we’ll take the point.

“We played the last 15 minutes with 10  versus 11. We have many important players injured – many players with many minutes but the physicality is there – but we were there, and we did everything we could to win, and I am so pleased and proud of the players.

“Football is a game of mistakes and for the good things – we made two fantastic goals, but they are stronger than us at set-pieces – every single team is at the moment.

“But in general, the game was there, we tried, we fight, and I was very pleased about many things I saw.”

With so many key players still sidelined – and Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake becoming the latest to be ruled out – it meant the boss was again forced to select from a much reduced number of fit and available players.

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But when asked if any of the players who have helped City dig deep were in need of a break, Guardiola was unequivocal in his response.

“The season started difficult and will all season be difficult,” Pep stressed.

“We have to survive this season in every game, try to take points to win games and move forward.

“We know it, we feel it but what we have done is really, really good.

“Now we go to UEFA Champions League [to play Juventus on Wednesday] with the players at our disposal and try to do well.”