Another weekend and more misfortune for Manchester City as the reigning champions suffered a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League.
With the wounds of a shocking loss in Manchester Derby still fresh, Pep Guardiola’s team traveled to Villa Park hoping to redeem themselves. However, Unai Emery and his side had quite a welcome planned for the defending champions.
City were tested almost immediately after the first whistle. A painfully inept exchange between John Stones and Josko Gvardiol allowed Jhon Duran a free run at goal and nearly punished the visitors with an early goal.
Soon after, a dominant Villa display resulted in a corner that saw Pau Torres almost score the opener. Fortunately for City, Stefan Ortega made a splendid save to prevent the ball from going into the top corner, but he too would soon falter.
Former City man Morgan Rogers found a straight path to goal after Aston Villa spotted Stones out of position and exploited the space behind the defender. Duran, determined not to miss another chance, converted from Rogers’ pass across the face of the goal.
The Sky Blues fought for a bigger share of possession but could not create enough chances to pose a credible threat to the hosts. Kyle Walker replaced an injured Stones at half-time, and the Manchester City captain did well in deflecting a few attacks.
But the defensive line-up would soon give way to Rogers as the City Academy graduate cut through the champions’ defence to score a second. A brief celebration followed to mark his moment of vindication while the Sky Blues hung their heads.
City found a goal late in injury time with Phil Foden’s strike, but the points were no longer for the taking. It marked a ninth defeat for Pep Guardiola and his team in their last 12 matches across all competitions and a seventh loss in their previous eight away matches.
The Blues’ hopes to defend their crown have now slipped away, with the champions falling to sixth place, one point behind Aston Villa. Manchester City will return to action on Boxing Day for their clash against Everton at home in their next league outing.
But before that, here are the Five Things We Learned from Manchester City’s latest display in the Premier League!
The daunting tales of Manchester City’s defence
Manchester City’s defence is the club’s top concern. The situation seems to worsen weekly, with Ruben Dias’ injury and absence over the next four weeks being the latest blow. It makes sense to argue that regular business would resume when the players return from their injury, but recent events indicate otherwise.
John Stones, who just returned from his injury, started the match against Aston Villa and overstepped while building play from the back. The hosts found an opening and carved out the City defence to get on the scoresheet through John Duran.
The champions were expected to concede after Aston Villa’s dominant start, but they barely managed to hold the fort for 15 minutes. Stones was replaced at half-time, and City conceded a second goal close to the hour mark. Stones’ previous injury seemingly recurred following the first half, and he may have risked another absence within 45 minutes of returning.
The champions no longer have a reliable defence. Repeated injuries have hindered them from developing any consistency, in addition to age, cruelly catching up with half the squad. The City defence that won four Premier Leagues in a row now desperately needs a reformation, and the upcoming January transfer window could see the club enter the market.
A colossal mistake with James McAtee
The fixture against Villa marked another City outing without James McAtee making an appearance. The match also saw Savinho replace Bernardo Silva on the right wing and do better than the Portuguese international. That substitution alone is a substantial argument in favour of McAtee receiving a chance to showcase his game before it’s too late.
With the Blues now on one of their worst losing runs in history, there is no reason why the senior members of the squad remain the only ones fighting. The City youngsters could bring a fresh take on Pep Guardiola’s tactical plans to help revive the team’s overall creativity.
If not, someone with as much potential as James McAtee would not be blamed for walking out of his boyhood club to pursue much-deserved opportunities elsewhere.
The Erling Haaland predicament
A harrowing form in front of the goal has dwarfed the City stalwart striker. Erling Haaland failed to score in a Premier League match once again and did not receive enough service.
When he did, the Norwegian couldn’t convert. In other words, it was the same old story with the Manchester City forward, raising questions over his role in the team. But there’s more.
A closer look at Haaland’s game against Villa shows several instances where he did well recovering the ball, especially in his one-twos with Jack Grealish. His game has expanded beyond that of a striker focused on netting, allowing him to drop deep to help the team.
But given his repeated failures in his primary responsibility, Haaland is right to be criticised for not being at his best. Compounding his troubles, the team isn’t creating enough. None of the attacking players, except Kevin De Bruyne, can reach Haaland with their through passes.
As things stand, the Norwegian is unlikely to be dropped. In the post-match, Haaland took responsibility for his questionable form, giving the City faithful a much-needed glimpse of a firm resolve amidst fears of the team’s fading grit.
Hopefully, he can turn things around for the better in the coming matches…
Pep Guardiola’s ‘missing players’
The City boss reiterated he needs his players back during post-match interviews. At risk of reading too much between the lines, was Pep Guardiola hinting at more than just the players out with injuries?
Sure, Manchester City miss Rodri’s presence in the middle, could have used Oscar Bobb in attack, need Ruben Dias in defence, and are probably in constant fear of losing another regular starting team player.
But is that the only reason behind City’s current form?
The champions’ performance against Aston Villa showed that not many are fighting with the same drive they have displayed in previous seasons. It is not an overestimation to state that several in the team have perhaps lost their hunger.
A weak-bellied showing in the face of mounting defeats isn’t precisely characteristic of the team that has scripted several epics about clinching titles on the final day of the season.
Injury has undoubtedly crippled City this season, but the champions are probably facing worse demons in terms of mentality. It is one thing to come out and accept responsibility for poor performance. It’s a whole other task to walk the talk when fighting for the badge in what is easily one of the most difficult times faced by the Sky Blues in recent seasons.
Toxic positivity and a reluctant hope
Despite their flaws and the noise surrounding the team, Manchester City are far from hopeless. Phil Foden’s goal against Aston Villa and Stefan Ortega’s statement-making performance are some of the few positives one can take from the game.
Ilkay Gundogan, who has had a tough time handling his role as the defensive midfielder, has evidently gained more control as he has started contributing more actively to Manchester City attacks.
Additionally, Jack Grealish was zealous with his efforts against his former club, only to be held back by an unconvincing form in the final third. Each of these positives has a long way to go and has to be tied together before it effectively changes the City’s miserable run.
That said, Pep Guardiola’s incessant need to refrain from criticising his players for their mistakes and repeated suggestions that the team played well – after one win in 12 matches – is now exasperating.
It might be his way of protecting his players in the media, but it could also risk letting players’ potential complacency go unchallenged. Hopefully, it is the former, and his unshakeable confidence in the team will motivate the side to find pragmatic solutions to their ever-increasing adversity.