City did everything but find the target in a dominant first period with the only thing missing being our cutting edge.
We came within a whisker of gaining a 14th minute lead. A neat pass from Bernardo found Kevin De Bruyne on the edge of the box, the Belgian let fly and Palace keeper Vicente Guaita could only fumble the ball which fell invitingly to the onrushing Bernardo five yards out.
Agonisingly though, the Portuguese midfielder ran out of space as he sought to round the keeper and find the target.
John Stones then tried his luck from 25 yards out, seeing a dipping, swerving shot deflected just wide before leading scorer Riyad Mahrez also warmed the Palace keeper’s gloves as he cut inside from the right flank before powering in a low drive.
Guaita then had to be alert to parry away a brilliant instinctive effort from De Bruyne who fired in on goal with the outside of his right foot from an inviting Cancelo assist.
Cancelo then came the closest yet to making the all-important breakthrough, the defender’s powerful dipping long-range effort smacking back off the post before Aymeric Laporte sent the instant rebound over the target as he followed up.
With City enjoying our best period of the game, Guaita was there again to prove a thorn in our side, staying alert to gather an instinctive Mahrez shot after another sweeping move from the champions.
And a frustrating first half ended with the Algerian grazing the Selhurst Park stanchion with another fizzing effort.
The compelling nature of the contest continued after the restart with City probing and seeking to stretch the play but hosts a menace on the counter.
Amazingly the woodwork denied City for a second occasion on 56 minutes as an angled De Bruyne drive ricocheted back off the post before Guaita then deprived Mahrez from the rebound with yet more heroics.
City were within an ace of the all-important breakthrough again as an inviting 70th minute cross from Grealish did find the onrushing Bernardo just two yards out but he could only get the faintest touch on the ball which went behind.
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At the other end Stones needed to produce a perfectly timed block to deny substitute Edouard before Ederson was then alert to deny Zaha.
With injury time looming a stunning De Bruyne free-kick found the onrushing Laporte in the heart of the box but the Spaniard’s header was intercepted by Guehi to take the pace off the ball before Gallagher nearly stole the win for the hosts right at the death.