LONDON - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola blamed the fact that he is missing key players for his side's late capitulation against Brentford in the Premier League on Tuesday as the Bees came from 2-0 down to grab a 2-2 draw.

Visitors City had gone 2-0 up thanks to a pair of goals from Phil Foden, but Yoane Wissa pulled one back for the hosts in the 82nd minute and Christian Norgaard headed the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time as City's defense wilted.

After suffering six league defeats in November and December, City bounced back with a draw against Everton and wins over Leicester City and West Ham United, but Tuesday's late collapse brought their short-lived revival to an abrupt halt.

The point leaves them sixth on 35, 12 adrift of leaders Liverpool, who drew 1-1 at second-placed Nottingham Forest, while the Bees are 10th on 28 following an unlikely comeback.

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After struggling to create chances in the first half, City winger Savinho went close to breaking the deadlock in the 50th minute, marauding forward through the left channel before thumping a shot off the foot of the post.

Two minutes later City striker Erling Haaland headed straight at the keeper when he should have scored.

The breakthrough finally came for City in the 66th minute when a brilliant ball from the right by Kevin De Bruyne was met by Foden, who steered a deft volley in at the far post.

The game should have been over when Foden made it 2-0 12 minutes later by reacting quickest to rattle home the rebound, after Savinho's shot was saved, to silence the home fans.

Four minutes later, however, Brentford's Wissa ensured a nervy finish when he fired in from close range to reduce the deficit and, with City's defenders having made several last-ditch interventions to protect the lead, they should have been aware of the threat posed by the hosts.

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But Denmark international Norgaard was allowed to complete the comeback two minutes into added time, getting enough power on his glancing header to send it past Stefan Ortega, despite the City keeper getting a strong hand to it.

“We just looked tired at the end in the last 20 minutes, we looked leggy," Foden said. "They put longer balls into the box and we didn't deal with the physicality in the end.

"It's definitely picked up from previously and performances are a lot better than they were. We've still got steps to go to where we want to be but as long as we keep making them small steps and improving that's what we're aiming to do."

Things were a lot brighter for the Brentford players after their display of character was rewarded with a point.

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“I don’t know how we did it," Norgaard said. "We stayed in the game even though we were 2-0 down. We hung in there ... and I’m proud of the way we managed to come back in the game.

“We aren’t here to lose by one so when Wissa got one back … I don’t know how I ended up there but it was nice to see it go in. Even though I’m not a striker I tend to listen in the meetings. I just attacked the gap and I was fortunate to see it go in,” he added.

Missing players

City are currently missing defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones and influential midfielder Rodri, all of whom are injured.

Guardiola said that with several key players missing through injury, City didn't have the personnel to defend the type of balls they faced against Brentford.

"We have another type of player right now, and at the end we could not defend that situation," Guardiola told a press conference.

"They put six, seven players in the box, crosses, and sometimes they are better, so there are more players, they are taller, they are stronger in (heading)," he added.

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The Catalan coach was seen engaging animatedly with Ortega after the final whistle, simultaneously berating and hugging his German goalkeeper, who got a strong hand to Norgaard's equalizing effort but couldn't keep it out.

"I said how good he played in actions with the ball, how good his pass (was) to Erling (Haaland), how happy and satisfied I am," Guardiola explained.

Despite his positive words about Ortega, there was no denying his disappointment at throwing away another lead and dropping two more points.

"What I missed today especially was that we didn't take the right decision in the final third, in the actions where we could run, long balls we won and we could run, and in that moment we didn't take the right decisions," Guardiola said.

"I give credit to them, Brentford has always been a really, really tough opponent ... they are an honest team, they are a generous team, I like the way they play, but today we created a lot."