Manchester City have become the first Premier League side on record to do one thing after the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
The treble winners were held at the Etihad Stadium once again after strikes from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise cancelled out goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis.
So, what did Manchester City do to make history against Crystal Palace? Let’s take a look…
Manchester City set record against Crystal Palace
Well, there surely aren’t many records left that Manchester City haven’t broken under Pep Guardiola.
This one – however – truly emphasises just how dominant the treble winners usually are with the Spaniard in charge.
In the first half of Saturday’s draw against Crystal Palace, all ten of Manchester City’s outfield players created a goalscoring opportunity.
This is the first time on record that ten different players have created a chance for a single team in the first half of a Premier League game – according to the BBC.
What a remarkable statistic – although it is one that does not surprise us.
In truth, it’s more surprising that Ederson didn’t also create a chance against the deep lying Crystal Palace in that first half, given the Brazil international’s stunning long range passing and vision.
Guardiola’s side became complacent
A run of just one win in five Premier League outings ahead of the clash against Crystal Palace was a surprisingly poor streak for Manchester City.
Runs such as that for an elite side can dent confidence and potentially derail the campaign.
However, the fact all ten outfield players found themselves so heavily involved in buildup play in the first half against Crystal Palace suggested that Manchester City had rediscovered some calmness.
Having said that, calmness turned to complacency in the second half – without a doubt.
Gaps started to appear, and Roy Hodgson watched his side take full advantage – the Citizens have now drawn their last three Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium.
The result sets Manchester City up poorly for Tuesday’s FIFA Club World Cup clash against Urawa Red Diamonds in Saudi Arabia – where the Citizens could win themselves a bonus trophy.
