Manchester City vs Crystal Palace: Pep Guardiola insists he has no regrets despite damaging defeat

Goals from Jeffrey Schlupp, Andros Townsend and Luka Milivojevic earned Crystal Palace a famous win at the Etihad

Pep Guardiola insists he had no regrets despite Manchester City missing out on the chance to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Goals from Jeffrey Schlupp, Andros Townsend and Luka Milivojevic earned Crystal Palace a famous win at the Etihad and ensured Jurgen Klopp's side will be four points clear at Christmas.

Guardiola saw Ilkay Gundogan put City ahead but two first-half replies and a third just after the break from the spot gave the champions too much to do, despite the returning Kevin De Bruyne's late consolation.

“I said at Stamford Bridge (when we lost to Chelsea), I have few regrets," Guardiola said afterwards. "You just have to improve and these kind of situations won’t happen in the future.

“The first time they passed the halfway line they scored a goal and, after a few minutes, they scored an incredible goal from Townsend.

“We reacted well after the second goal and the second half we started well, decided to play two strikers, but the third goal - the penalty - was real, real tough for us. We have to avoid it. We can’t concede this kind of penalty."

An unfit Fernandinho saw John Stones forced into action in midfield while De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero were left on the bench by choice.

“I don’t know. I’m only the manager," he said when asked if he should've started the pair. "I don’t know what would have happened if Kevin had started, Sergio had started.

“Fernandinho is not fit and John played so well (there) at Leicester, I wanted to give him another situation. He played well. He was quick, except once on the ball in the beginning. I admire people who try to adapt to positions they’re not used to.

“I decided to play others. Gabriel (Jesus) had an incredible game against Everton and scored two goals. Sergio needs more time to find his rhythm. Kevin was injured for the first two or three months and I think his condition is getting better.

“We put six or seven players on with fresh legs for this. But when we have a lot of games, everybody has to play and the guys who played did absolutely everything."

Milivojevic's second-half penalty proved decisive (AFP/Getty Images)

Roy Hodgson admitted he headed north in trepidation rather than hope but was delighted with his side's display.

“Travelling up I was thinking we could give a good performance but whether we could get something out of the game was going to be a tough ask. But we didn’t come up thinking we had no chance or this was a game we had to write off.

“Today was one of those bonanza days. You get your work rate as it should be, you get your shape and discipline as it should be, then you also score goals. To score three goals away from home against a team of this quality says a lot … and makes you wonder where they have been up until now."