There was a distinct thump when the volley of Andros Townsend rocketed into Ederson's netting. The eventual result gave Manchester City a distinct bump in this absorbing title race.
Liverpool are top at Christmas for the first time in five years and Pep Guardiola,
now four points adrift, is searching for answers. The Etihad meeting of
the two teams a week on Thursday has become even more crucial — a
victory for either will side will be that bit more seismic.
Lyon set the bar for how to tackle them, taking four points from two Champions League fixtures, and now Crystal Palace have become the first team outside the top six to beat City for almost two years.
The Premier League is not the procession many predicted and some of Guardiola's players are finding that difficult to process.
Roy Hodgson laughed when it was put to him that this defeat should be considered a definitive blow for Guardiola.
'No,
no, no. Not at all,' he said. 'Pep is a very intelligent guy, it means
that they haven't caught up those four points but he knows there are 20
matches left and one of those is going to be against Liverpool.
'I
don't think he will be concerned about that and he'll know that no
matter how Liverpool play they will have a game like this, too. Someone
will beat them against the odds.'
There are doubtless issues for Guardiola to address. Fabian Delph admitted they are starting games too slowly.
There
is a clear problem with Kyle Walker at right back after he gifted a
penalty and lazily hung out a leg as Jeffrey Schlupp equalised. That
Walker was the only player who walked past Guardiola without the offer
of a hug or handshake spoke volumes.
This was very unlike a Guardiola team and
they struggled to such an extent that his demeanour was resigned rather
than agitated and angry.
Fernandinho is
such a big miss, John Stones incapable of filling the huge void in
holding midfield, but Guardiola can also point to injuries.
None
of Fernandinho, Kevin de Bruyne or David Silva were available from the
start. Take the three most important players out of any side and they
are met with complications.
Even so,
Townsend labelled City 'the team of our generation' and the video
sessions at Palace's Beckenham base in the week were put to good use. In
those, Hodgson did not even mention the possibility of leaving with any
points.
Palace brought an end to City's winning
streak last New Year's Day with a draw at Selhurst Park and became the
first team to take anything from the champions at the Etihad Stadium
since Huddersfield last May.
'It's a
massive setback but it's a very long season,' said Delph. 'Most games we
are competing against ourselves to do better and the next game will be
no different.'
Three times in the
Premier League Liverpool have been top at Christmas — 1996, 2008 and
2013 — and blown it each time. Guardiola even found an unlikely ally in
Wayne Rooney.
'I still think City will
win it,' he said. 'Over the last 10 years only two teams who've been top
at Christmas have not won the league and both of them was Liverpool so
hopefully that's the story again.'
