Pep Guardiola predicted Man City's difficulties will drag on for the entire season after their slim title prospects suffered further damage with a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
Having been given a chance to eat into Liverpool’s lead after the postponement of the Merseyside derby, City were instead grateful for a point from a game in which they twice trailed and ended with 10 men following Rico Lewis’s late red card.
Guardiola, whose side have won only once in nine games in all competitions, said: ‘The season started difficult and it will be difficult all season so we have to survive this season and every game try to take points and win games and then go forward.