The 2021/22 season is a very interesting phenomenon for the defending Manchester City - but anyone who can get points on the defending champions in the first leg will at least not lose in the second leg. In other words: Among the opponents that Manchester City have completed this season, as long as they are defeated, they are a double kill.
City finished 28 rounds, with 22 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses accumulating 69 points, and lost points in 6 games. Of the opponents in these 6 matches, 2 opponents have completed the home-and-away two-legged match with Manchester City - Tottenham Hotspur have doubled Manchester City in the home and away season, taking all 6 points; Southampton have drawn with Manchester City at home and away, giving Manchester City four points less.
The remaining two opponents who can score points from Manchester City are Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
After beating Brighton, Liverpool pinned their hopes on Crystal Palace. Speaking of Crystal Palace, fans must remember that in the 2018/19 season, Manchester City and Liverpool staged the most thrilling title battle in the history of the Premier League, during which the veteran coach Hodgson with a Liverpool plot once commanded Crystal Palace to defeat Manchester City to help Liverpool extend their lead. Only liverpool themselves are not angry, under great pressure to mess up, and finally by Manchester City reversed the 7-point difference, painfully lost the first title of the team's Premier League, and failed to live up to the old coach's good intentions.
Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad in the first leg, breaking a big upset. In that game, the opening power outage of the main centre-back Laporte and the subsequent red card were the culprits of City's defeat. This time moving to Selhurst Park, the defensive core Ruben Diaz is out of the team due to injury, and the backline led by Laporte is inevitably worrying.
But people can't fall into the same river twice, Laporte is also the main center-back of the Spanish national team, this time the natural spirit is a lot, coupled with Manchester City's strong control ability, the Crystal Palace is firmly suppressed in the half, and The Manchester City backline has not been tested much.
But the defence does not concede a goal, it does not guarantee victory, and in the case of Liverpool pressing forward, Manchester City must win if they want to maintain the lead. Fortunately, the conditions for winning the game were relatively easy and the goal was scored.
However, Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Guaita is known as a "mad man", offering open performances from time to time. Under City's almost suffocating attack, Guaita not only made up for all four goals that City shot from within the goal frame of the game.
Crystal Palace's defense can not hold Manchester City's frontless line, guaita may not be able to plug the loophole no matter how brave, but perhaps jealous of guaita's existence, manchester city attack group this game is absurd. Hitting the goalpost twice may be bad luck, but 3 times facing the empty door and getting nothing, that is really panic.
Shortly after the opening, Guaita saved De Bruyne's long-range shot and rolled to the feet of Bernardo Silva, who crossed Guaita but inexplicably took the ball out of the line and missed the opportunity to empty the goal. This was Guaita's only mistake in this game, and since then, whether it is far or near, fierce or clever, Guaita has been able to do it.
Subsequently, Laporte missed the perfect opportunity to be humiliated by the snow, after The goalpost bounced back after Canceló's long-range shot, Laporte, who was inserted in place, was now facing an empty door as wide as the Pacific Ocean, but Laporte fired an anti-aircraft gun with one foot.
In the final moments, Bernardo Silva missed the empty goal again, and Glalis's penetrating cross had already passed through Guaita, but his shoveling shot slid out of the goal...
Guardiola did not change his role in this game, this is not his big, Manchester City's no centre-forward crux has always existed, Sterling, Jesus and Gundogan may not necessarily be better than Foden, Bernardo Silva.
0-0, Crystal Palace faced the defending champions with 1 win and 1 draw this season, knocking out 5 points for Manchester City, and continuing the phenomenon of "as long as you can get points from the defending champions, you won't lose" this season.
The pressure is really coming, looking at the essence through the phenomenon, 1 month later in the top battle, Liverpool is at least going towards an undefeated result. Of course, this is not true, but with only a four-point lead in one game, neither Guardiola nor Manchester City has room to make a mistake.
The Premier League title competition is about to roll in again, and the fans will lie flat!