SILENT ASSASSINS
A TACTICAL TWEAK, A DREAM DUO IN DEFENCE AND THE BRILLIANCE OF DE BRUYNE. HOW THE NOISY NEIGHBOURS BECAME THE...
PEP GUARDIOLA turned 50 yesterday and it would be entirely in keeping with the Manchester City manager’s attitude at the moment if he allowed the occasion to pass without any great celebration.
City have been so quietly efficient of late that it has been easy to miss them coming up on the rails in a fascinating title race — and that’s how Guardiola will like it.
No noise is good news for the City boss, but it’s getting harder to operate under the radar with each passing match. City are unbeaten in 15 games in all competitions since losing to Tottenham on November 21, winning 12 in total and eight in a row while conceding just three goals.
Another win at home to Aston Villa tomorrow night would see them go top of the table, possibly only for a couple of hours before Manchester United face Fulham later in the evening.
It has been an impressive turnaround for City and a testament to Guardiola that they are now favourites with the bookies for the title.
PRESS LESS
LIkE United, City had a more difficult start than most after playing in Europe in August and kicking off the new campaign a week later without the benefit of a pre-season.
Injuries and international breaks further disrupted early momentum and that was reflected in performances and results.
Guardiola tried to ease the problem by tweaking his tactics. He asked his players to stay in position rather than wasting energy on the pressing game they are used to. City have found a way to sit back more without losing any of their attacking verve.
‘We were running too much,’ said Guardiola last week. ‘Without the ball you have to run. But with the football you have to walk, or run much less. Stay more in position and let the ball run, not you.’
City are more comfortable with the new approach now and are starting to hit their stride.
STONES WALL
DEFENCE has been key to the resurgence and, in particular, the partnership between Ruben Dias and John Stones. It has come at the expense of Aymeric Laporte, who appears to have carried the can for the Spurs defeat and has only been seen twice since — though he has been injured.
New £61.2million signing Dias has taken over as the main man and Stones has resurrected his City career alongside him. In 10 games together, they have won nine, drawn once and conceded just one goal.
Stones ended a three-year goal drought against United in the Carabao Cup before scoring his first Premier League goals for City against Crystal Palace on Sunday after four and a half years at the Etihad. ‘A lot of credit to Ruben,’ he said afterwards. ‘It’s been great for me to play alongside him — we’ve just clicked.’
LET’S TALK ABOUT KEVIN
WHATEVER problems City have faced in the first half of the season, they have always been able to rely on the mercurial talents of kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian’s exquisite pass for Stones on Sunday, curling the ball with the outside of his right foot, brought up a century of assists for City. ‘He’s made being brilliant boring,’ Danny Murphy told Match of the Day 2, and the same could be said of City in general under Guardiola.
‘It’s really got to that. He’s a sensational player. Some of his passing and creativity is just a pleasure to watch.’
NO STRIKER, NO PROBLEM
CITY are without a league goal from one of their strikers since November 8, with Sergio Aguero sidelined by knee trouble and Gabriel Jesus out of action for a
month over Christmas after testing positive for Covid. Remarkably, though, their goal output has continued with five against Burnley, four against Arsenal and Palace, and three against Chelsea.
Sunday was a case in point as Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling weighed in with sensational strikes.
Gabriel Jesus completed 90 minutes and Aguero is almost ready, after regaining fitness and self-isolating, which is an ominous prospect for the rest of the league.
FAB PHIL
CITY always hoped Phil Foden would step into David Silva’s boots and the youngster hasn’t let them down this season with eight goals and five assists.
Guardiola continues to handle the youngster carefully — and left him on the bench for an hour against Palace — but City look a more dynamic team with Foden.
It was noticeable that he gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka considerably more problems in the Carabao Cup semi-final against United than Sterling has managed in several attempts.
Joao Cancelo is another player who has raised his game this season and he is challenging kyle Walker to be City’s first- choice right back.
FRIENDLY FIXTURES
THE opportunity to go top tomorrow may not be a fleeting one.
After facing a Villa side beset by Covid problems, the following league games are against three of the bottom four — West Brom, Sheffield United and Burnley.
Guardiola’s side could easily be leading the race when they meet Liverpool at Anfield next month.