Manchester City will look to bounce back this weekend after their disappointing loss to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday.
The Citizens flattered to deceive in the 2-0 loss to Spurs at the Etihad Stadium, which brought them back to earth after their superb 4-0 win at Wolves.
Manchester City are set to travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and they will be desperate to show they have what it takes to challenge for the Premier League title.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol spoke to Highbury Squad about the latest goings-on in the Premier League and he touched upon Man City’s loss at Tottenham.
He commented on two of their players and also made a brutal claim about the Citizens’ current situation.
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Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City at Molineux on August 16, 2025
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
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Steve Nicol slates Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush
Nicol admitted he was stunned by how poorly Man City’s attack played and criticised both Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush.
He implied that the £34million summer signing looked clueless, said Marmoush disappeared late on in the match, and suggested that City are a spent force.
“Last weekend going forward, my goodness, I thought they were absolutely awful,” said Nicol.
“I mean, Cherki looked like a guy who wasn’t quite sure where he was playing.
“Marmoush had one chance in the first half where he probably should have scored, but disappeared after that.
“They absolutely are not the team that they were. No question.”
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It’s funny how so many people come to conclusions about a team – indeed, about anything in football – based on what happens on the pitch in August.
Obviously the pre-season predictions are a product of how eager everyone is to see the Premier League return, and there’s an expectation that most will go wrong.
However, City have a lot of new players in the squad that need time to gel, and in previous years, they’ve been relentless in the latter stages of the season.
Pep Guardiola needs to print these comments out and use them as part of his pre-match dressing room team talks.
“Nicol says we’re absolutely not the team that we were,” Guardiola could hypothetically say. “How about we prove him wrong this season?”