The Eagles were in the thick of the contest for much of the first-half, but were undone by four emphatic finishes – two apiece from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki – despite Yéremy Pino’s fantastic free-kick reducing the deficit, eventually credited as an own-goal off the ‘keeper.
Wharton told Sky Sports: “I think [the game got away]**** 15 or 20 minutes into the second-half, after their third goal. We were just too open on their transitions.
“Two of their goals were from transitions and us being open, and Phil [Foden] and Cherki being able to drive at us, with that much space, they’re going to cause danger to us and they took their chances.
“I’m disappointed. I thought we had a few good moments, and got in some good positions. We didn’t test the keeper as much as we probably should have.
“I think that’s probably the difference in the game today. They took their chances and we had a few half-decent ones, but also we probably got into the positions and didn’t make the chances we should have.
“We knew the gameplan, how we wanted to get into those positions. I thought, especially in the first-half, we did that really well. But then it’s just that last detail and at this level, that makes a big difference.”
Wharton added he and his teammates would do everything they could to add that sharpness and get their first Premier League point of the season on board.
He noted: “We’re just trying to work every day, implement the gaffer’s new way of playing and how he wants us to play in and out of possession.
“I think we improved from last week [at Everton]. We were in the game for longer. Last week we probably had a good 45 minutes at the start and then we dropped off. Tonight it was a bit longer than that into the second-half, but we just need to keep at it, and I’m sure next week [against Fulham] we’ll be better.
“That’s our aim: to step up and get the win next week.”