Pep Guardiola has admitted that his Manchester City side "deserved" to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the Premier League despite dominating Saturday's contest at the Etihad Stadium.
Boasting 75% possession and 19 shots on goal, the Citizens were on course to claim maximum points after putting themselves two goals ahead courtesy of strikes either side of half time from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis.
Grealish scored his third goal in as many Premier League games to put Man City ahead just before the half-hour mark, before 18-year-old academy graduate Lewis netted his first Premier League goal shortly after half time.
However, the Citizens let their two-goal lead slip in the final 15 minutes, with Jean-Philippe Mateta making the net ripple before winning a penalty for Palace after being fouled from Phil Foden, allowing Michael Olise to restore parity from the spot in dramatic fashion on the 95-minute mark.
Man City, who have won just one of their last six Premier League games and have dropped eight points from winning positions during this period, remain fourth in the table, and the reigning champions could slip six points behind leaders Liverpool if they beat Manchester United on Sunday.
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Reacting to Man City's draw with Palace in his post-match interview, Guardiola said: "It's not bad luck. It's deserved. We gave away two points.
"For yourself, when you give this penalty [away] you deserve it. You see the chances we create and the chances we concede are quite similar all this season, except the Chelsea game. We are not able to close the games."
Guardiola was left perplexed at how his side did not increase their lead before collapsing in the final 15 minutes, adding: "When 10 players are in the 18-yard box with 10 metres of space, we have to be patient, arrive in the box from crosses and play at the right tempo.
"Playing that way we hardly conceded anything until the goal. There was one chance [for them] in the first half when two players slipped.
"Until the goal on 76 minutes they didn't create anything. The team was really good, but in the end when you give Crystal Palace a penalty you don't deserve it. It's like the Chelsea penalty, we don't deserve to win.
"Look at the games against Spurs, Liverpool and today, we were excellent, but we were unable to win the games.
"When this happens, it's because we are not consistent enough to close the games and many other reasons."
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Asked by a journalist if Palace's comeback was due to a lack of intensity from his Man City side during his post-match press conference, Guardiola said: "I don't agree with you.
"We play the same, but at 2-1 it is difficult. We attack, but they want to stay there (defending deep). Even at 2-0 they stay there. They run away on 86 and 87 and they were a bit more forward.
"In the end, be patient, don't concede transitions and that's not what we have done in seven, eight years in these types of games.
"In the first action they run, they score a goal and in the last minute we give them a penalty. In the 18-yard box we have to be careful, and we were not careful.
"When this happens it's well deserved, we don't deserve to win. When you give away penalties it's because you don't deserve it."
Guardiola and his Man City squad are scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening ahead of their first-ever Club World Cup match against Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Oliver Thomas
