City took their winless run in the Premier League to four with an abject defeat to a brilliant Aston Villa side on Wednesday, prompting Pep Guardiola to admit his side are struggling. He has said that they are in trouble before but rarely admits they are struggling - which suggests anything they try isn't working.
That was the case at Aston Villa. Without Rodri, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and also Kevin De Bruyne, City had no midfield. John Stones was back but looked like a player who hadn't played in a few weeks, and Rico Lewis lost his battle with John McGinn comprehensively.
When Guardiola turned to the bench, he restored midfield solidity by bringing on Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes - but in taking off Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez, he took off his only two supply lines to Erling Haaland.
It was a different kind of game to the draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham. In those games, City were well in the contest for much of the games, conceding due to individual errors or opposition brilliance. Drawing against those three sides, compiled of hundreds of millions of pounds of the world's best talent, is no disgrace at this stage of the season.
But against Villa (who have still spent a lot of money, just less), City were outfought and outthought from the first minute. The hosts took the game to City, exploiting their wide-open midfield, and putting pressure on a back line who have all made individual mistakes recently. The result was a ropey formation, and key absences meant Foden, Alvarez, and Bernardo were ineffective and isolated in a line of three behind Erling Haaland.
The fact that City's midfield and forward line that ended the game was Lewis, Kovacic, Nunes, Bernardo (playing out of position), and Oscar Bobb, is extremely telling.
Bu hikaye Manchester Evening News dergisinin December 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Manchester Evening News dergisinin December 09, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Ten Hag wants a £200k 'privacy wall' at Carrington
ERIK ten Hag has reportedly requested a privacy wall to be built at United's training ground, costing the club £200,000.
"There is no reason to expect any sort of statement after Sir Jim's meeting'
UNITED are yet to clarify Erik ten Hag's future following their executive meeting in London on Tuesday.
ETH says Ugarte needs time but it's hard to develop if he's not playing...
ERIK ten Hag's decision to drop the two central defenders he had worked with previously and pushed to be reunited with at Old Trafford attracted plenty of attention this week, but it wasn't his only surprising selection call.
BEV'S LOOKING TO GO CRAZY!
BEVAN French admits it will be 'a crazy feeling' if he can light up Saturday's Grand Final with another of his freakish tries.
HAALAND ON 'GABGATE' 'What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch'
STRIKER HAS ‘NO REGRETS' OVER THROWING BALL AT GAB
Root: Plenty of runs still to get
JOE Root insists there are 'many more runs left to get' overhauling Sir Alastair Cook to become England's record Test run-scorer.
'Local Retail Champions make our communities better places to live'
LOTTERY OPERATOR ‘EXCITED' TO RECOGNISE RETAILERS, SAYS ALLWYN CEO ANDRIA VIDLER
Badenoch or Jenrick to lead Conservatives
ROBERT Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will go head-to-head in the final heat of the Conservative Party leadership contest, after James Cleverly was knocked out in the latest round of voting.
Letby told colleague of 'distress'
CHILD serial killer nurse Lucy Letby told a colleague more than a year before her arrest she was worried she had \"maybe done something wrong\" to babies, an inquiry has heard.
Idris acts to give youth a chance
IDRIS Elba has partnered with The Prince's Trust to launch a new project that aims to give a 'chance' to the young people of Manchester.