The Champions at Palace

[gavin]

CITY: Ortega, Walker (C), Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis, Gundogan, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Savio, Nunes, Haaland

Subs: Ederson, Carson, Grealish, Doku, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand

A few changes, A couple enforced at the back but Doku and Grealish are also rested.

[reddishblue]

Doku and Grealish were excellent in mid-week and in my opinion should have started. I think a lot of our problems recently have been due to constant changing of the side. Albeit a lot of this has been forced upon Pep by injuries but this time...

[Stephen Paul]

Doku excellent mid week and back om the bench 

[Stephen Paul]

we need these 3 points today

[gavin]

Walker is a complete dickhead. He plays the attacker onside and then sticks his arm up to claim offside. Dreadful start.

[Hesperus]

Very thin side for me. Defence looks very dodgy. Poor start!

[Hesperus]

If these really are the best players we can put out we  are in big trouble.

Gundo walker lewis Gvardiol Nunes they have been so poor all season. We look 2nd rate against palace!

[KunDB]

Second best to every loose ball until we equalised.

Walker is gone. Never thought I'd say this but Silva was awful first half giving the ball away easily regularly.

Lewis is lovely but far too lightweight.

It's in our hands second half but we need much improved work rate from our players work more pressing.

[gavin]

Theres goals in this for us. We just need to tighten up at the back and it will come. KDB and Erling look dangerous. Savinho was poor and then he keeps shooting even though his shooting is shit on top. Doku will have to come on if he doesn't shape quickly in the second half.

What a beautiful cross and header for our goal. Perfection.

[KunDB]

Rico Lewis a massive weak link start of second half.

[KunDB]

What is the point of Kyle Walker defending a corner when he never does compete with their defenders. He's woeful.

We are woeful we give them the ball on the edge of the box and a very soft corner.

This team needs a big rework. Too many weak links and spent forces.

Our defence is a defence in name only and we huff annd puff too much going forward seldom creating clear cut chances.

[gavin]

Yeh Walker culpable again for the second. But also Bernard for giving the ball away for them to get the corner in the first place. Big players are not doing their jobs.

[gavin]

The sending off is a disgrace. Lewis was fouled and then yellow carded.

[KunDB]

Second yellow. Red. Just ridiculous VAR doesn't look at it because it is only yellow. It's not yellow officials, Walker up it's yellow yellow, which is RED, i
red in all but name.

[Stephen Paul]

Another poor result for out of sorts City

Rags next Sunday 

[gavin]

Nketiah was lucky to avoid a red, he deliberately kicked Grealish in the ankle very hard to stop a break away. Could have caused an injury through cheating.

I'm not even sure what Lewis got booked for in the first place. Never mind the second, which was clearly not a yellow card.

Not a great performance but having a man sent off clearly affected any chance we had of snatching it at the end. The ref should be sacked.

[gavin]

He couldn't wait to whistle at the end either. Exactly 4 minutes with City on a break. Should have been more than 4 minutes to start with never mind the time wasted in injury time.

[KunDB]

Robber Jones was the referee, poor performance by him. Dubious first booking of Rico, let them rough Rico up all the game and then sent him off for being fouled in the Palace box. Need I say more.

As for us. Pathetic defending and pressing. Better second half but that is too late and happens too often. We are party time team not a 90 minutes team. Spursy like.

[Hesperus]

We're a poor side at the moment the facts speak for themselves.

Something must be wrong at the club. It's inexplicable how far we've regressed.

First time in a long time I'm not confident going into a derby!

[gavin]

Never fear, the rags are even worse! Lost to Forest at home