Marc Guehi had previously missed just one game for Crystal Palace this season, but a 5-2 defeat by Manchester City coincided with his second. If this trip to the Etihad was a taste of what life might be like should he leave in the summer, then it was a bitter one.
Palace’s captain was a significant miss in defence after receiving a one-match suspension for picking up two yellow cards against Brighton & Hove Albion last week.
Those bookings were unnecessary and the result of his own errors, but against City, he was forced to watch from the sidelines as his defensive colleagues and makeshift centre-back Jefferson Lerma conceded on five occasions. Their mistakes were far more significant.
Palace’s 1-1 draw with Southampton on April 2 ended a run of five consecutive Premier League away clean sheets. Yet, before this defeat by City — the third time out of 13 overall in the Premier League that they have conceded five goals against this opponent — Oliver Glasner’s side had gone 18 games in all competitions without conceding more than a single goal. It is only the second time this season in the Premier League that they have let in more than two goals in a game.
The importance of familiarity under manager Glasner’s system should not be underestimated. Drilling into the players what is required of them is essential and the Austrian prefers to name a consistent starting XI. To lose Guehi was a challenge in itself, let alone when Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards had both missed significant chunks of training over the past few weeks.
Guehi has just a year remaining on the contract he signed upon joining Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and there is a strong chance he could leave come this summer’s transfer window, with no obvious suggestion that he intends to sign a new contract.
Even with Palace’s tendency to hold onto talent, their resolve will be tested. The 24-year-old’s value will remain high and losing him on a free is unfathomable. It might be tempting to suggest that losing him at all is unfathomable, given how poor Palace were without him in Manchester.
City ran through Palace’s defence, which capitulated in the face of sustained pressure and wave after wave of attacks after an opening 30 minutes without the slightest flicker of concern.
“It was more that Chris didn’t train for 10 days, Maxence didn’t train the whole week, so everybody was not at his normal top level (rather than just being without Guehi),” Glasner said in his post-match press conference.
“It was unusual for us not to put pressure on the ball. It was a clear pattern: we always protected the depths first.
“Marc played when we conceded five against Arsenal. We can look for many reasons. We took too many wrong decisions. Before the second goal, Maxence steps into the midfield where he doesn’t need to and opens the gap, then they pass in behind (and score). We didn’t defend on our top level. That’s why we didn’t win.”
Palace lack cover at centre-back, hence the requirement for midfielder Lerma to fill in. Nathaniel Clyne has been adequate in the position but struggled in the draw with Southampton. Lerma is a more natural fit but in a back three without its leader — albeit one who leads more by example than by speaking on the pitch — that challenge was exacerbated. Throw in an excellent Kevin De Bruyne performance and it is easy to see how the absence of the small details that Palace’s defenders on the day might know about each other’s games can cause problems.
But Palace were especially vulnerable in transition, with City passing through the lines several times. For the fifth City goal, Nico O’Reilly was unmarked to shoot from James McAtee’s cross, with McAtee having also been allowed to cross without pressure. McAtee was unmarked also when Omar Marmoush had Richards backing up and then squaring the ball to his team-mate with the score 3-2.
There were multiple examples of Palace’s defensive unit being stretched. De Bruyne glided through a gap between Lacroix and Daichi Kamada in the second half, which almost led to another goal.
Palace took a 2-0 lead through Eze and Richards, pictured (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Chadi Riad arrived last summer with a view to establishing himself, playing where necessary and at least featuring in rotated starting XIs. But his initial medial cruciate ligament injury, sustained in the Carabao Cup win by Norwich City in August, set that plan back, before an anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in training at the end of January further dented hopes of integrating the 21-year-old into the squad.
Had he spent this campaign finding his feet, then Palace might have a better idea of how they would cope if Guehi’s potential departure becomes a reality. Instead, Riad will not be available for selection until well into the new season.
The summer will require at least one new centre-back, whatever happens with Guehi. If he departs Palace, then two will certainly be necessary. Palace know this but it is a failing to leave themselves so short, even if misfortune, in the case of Riad, did befall them.
This was a defeat against a team which contains a lot of quality. That should not be forgotten, even if it was as much Palace’s mistakes as their opponents’ slick play which determined the result.
Guehi’s absence may not be the main reason for such a heavy defeat, but it certainly contributed. Palace must plan for life without him and consider it a bonus if he does remain at Selhurst Park next season.
(Top photo: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)