Roy Hodgson Brilliantly Laughs at Pep Guardiola After Late Equaliser vs Manchester City

• Crystal Palace battled back to hold Manchester City to a 2-2 draw on December 16
• Roy Hodgson was seen chuckling towards Pep Guardiola's direction after the equaliser
• It is the fifth time in six games that the defending champions have dropped points

Crystal Palace's manager Roy Hodgson aimed a dig at Pep Guardiola after cameras caught him laughing at the Manchester City boss on December 16.

The two managers met each other during their Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

The defending champions were on course for a second successive league win after a spate of poor form recently, only for Palace to score twice in the last 15 minutes and seal a memorable point.

Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis scored either side of the half for the home side before Jean Philippe-Mateta pulled one back in the 76th minute. Mateta would then be involved after Phil Foden brought him down in the area, leaving Michael Olise to dispatch a penalty deep into stoppage time.

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After Olise scored, cameras panned to an enraged Guardiola on the touchline, who was understandably dismayed that he was on the verge of dropping points again. In the background, Hodgson was caught chuckling at his opposite number as he looked at him.

The smirk continued as they shook hands after the final whistle. The point in Manchester sees the 76-year-old's side climb up to 17 points in 15th place as Manchester City remain fourth on the Premier League table.

Why was Ederson not sent off vs Crystal Palace?

The game was marked by a controversial spectacle in the first half when Ederson came rushing from his area and clipped Mateta. The Frenchman came tumbling down, with referee Paul Tierney awarding a foul.

The official, however, gave a yellow card rather than a direct sending-off, much to the confusion of the travelling fans. The general consensus was that the Brazilian had committed a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) offence and was liable for a red card.

Sports Brief admits the yellow card decision was controversial but attempts to break down what might have been the referee's thought process.