Pep Guardiola lauded his team’s fighting spirit after 10-man Manchester City twice fought back from behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
Daniel Munoz gave the hosts the lead inside four minutes before Erling Haaland equalised before half-time.
The two sides shared a goal apiece in the second period, too, with Maxence Lacroix and Rico Lewis both hitting the target, before the latter was sent off with six minutes to play.
“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.
“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 – Guardiola was again forced to select from a much reduced number of fit and available players.
“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,” concluded Guardiola.
