By failing to find the fault once morest Crystal Palace (0-0), Manchester City saw their lead over Liverpool melt away on Monday for the close of the 29th day.
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De Bruyne and City made the wrong move of the day.
After Liverpool’s victory at Brighton on Saturday (2-0) and their draw once morest Crystal Palace, Manchester City are only 4 points ahead of their pursuer who also has a game less.
Crystal Palace may only be 11th with 34 points, but Patrick Vieira’s men have become the first team this season not to take a goal from the Citizens, following winning (2-0) at the outward journey, at the end of October, to the Etihad.
City did not find the fault
As usual with the Sky Blue, the game was often reduced to an attack-defense where Pep Guardiola’s men tried an infinite number of offensive variations to break through the opposing wall. Very often, over 90 minutes, the accumulation of waves ends up winning the decision, but not this time.
Neither the brilliant paw kick – a whipped from outside the right – by Kevin de Bruyne on a bell-shaped ball from Joao Cancelo (26th), deflected above his bar by Vicente Guaita, nor the shot from the same Cancelo, two minutes later, came to smash on the post, did not hit the bull’s eye.
A pivot shot from “KDB” was also repelled by the amount, before Riyad Mahrez sent his recovery over (56th). With a little more skill, precision or composure in the last gesture or the penultimate, Palace might undoubtedly have claimed even better in this match.
And who knows? Perhaps that unsatisfactory point on Monday night at the final whistle will turn into a point that will ultimately make the difference for City.