Man City put bad December behind
Pep Guardiola’s rejuvenated Manchester City face a potentially tricky challenge at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday as they continue their Premier League title defence.
But the early days of 2019 suggest their uncharacteristic December collapse is firmly behind them.
In the final month of 2018 City lost successive league games, against relatively modest opposition in both Crystal Palace and Leicester City, following an end to their unbeaten domestic start to the campaign earlier at the beginning of December.
But a victory over leaders Liverpool to kick off in the New Year completely rejuvenated the mood at the Etihad Stadium after City had been denied the services of injured playmaker Kevin de Bruyne for most of the first half of the campaign.
And two stunning cup victories in the space of four days albeit against lower league clubs Rotherham and Burton Albion suggested the clinical, cutting edge that characterised City’s play during last season’s recordbreaking title-winning campaign was back.
Championship side Rotherham were swept aside 7-0 at the Etihad, with third division Burton suffering a more painful fate in a lopsided first leg of League Cup semifinal, when City scored nine goals without reply.
That latter victory assured City of a place in the final against Tottenham or Chelsea in February and also indicated the demanding Guardiola will not tolerate any let-up in his quest to add more silverware to the club’s trophy cabinet.
It was a mood reflected by De Bruyne against Rotherham when he showed visible dissatisfaction at being brought off after an hour, even though his team City were already leading by five goals.
Some reports even suggested De Bruyne refused to return to the bench to watch the remainder of the match, remaining, instead, in the City dressing room.
“No, I didn’t speak with him,” said City manager Guardiola curtly, when asked if he had dealt with De Bruyne’s reaction to being replaced. But given that the Belgian has started just one league game so far this campaign, he is likely to be chomping at the bit to play from the kick-off against Wolves.
Sergio Aguero, too, has returned after being absent since the Liverpool win due to illness and inspirational club captain and defender Vincent Kompany is another player winning his battle to be fit for Monday’s match.
The general picture suggests that, having weathered a brief loss of form, City have not only returned to their clinical best but also have a number of key players hitting fitness at the right time, as Guardiola insists his squad can maintain their chase for honours on four fronts.
Even long-term injury victim Benjamin Mendy is making progress and expected to return to the fold shortly.
Meanwhile, second-placed City will want to close the seven-point gap at the top of the table created by Liverpool’s 1-0 win away to Brighton on Saturday when they face Wolves.
However, the Nuno Espirito Santo side held City to a creditable 1-1 draw earlier in the season at Molineux and drew 1-1 at the Etihad in last season’s League Cup when they were still a Championship club.
“We realised when we played the EFL [English Football League] Cup and the first away game how complicated it would be,” said Guardiola of the threat posed by high-flyers Wolves.
“They are strong physically, counter-attack, set-pieces. There is not just one or two, there are three or four [Wolves players] and when you are tired, they can put on new players.”
“They defend well, deep, they control many areas Moutinho, Neves, he can shoot from a long way. They are newly promoted and doing incredibly well,” Guardiola added.