City benefit by keeping it clean
WHETHER it’s Pep Guardiola’s innovative formations, Ruben Dias’ instant improvement of the defence, or Ilkay Gundogan’s transformation into a seasoned striker, City are much improved in almost all areas this season compared to the last.
In 2019/20, the Blues conceded too many, and didn’t score enough. The summer saw Aymeric Laporte return from injury, John Stones knuckle down to fight for his place, and Ruben Dias arrive from Benfica.
The result has been a much improved defence.
In attack, although Sergio Aguero has been out, the goals have been shared between City’s supporting cast of in-form attacking midfielders.
There has been another improvement, though, which has quietly gone under the radar in the many analysis pieces of City’s improvements this season.
They’re far better when it comes to discipline.
Last season, some of their most costly defeats were characterised by poor discipline. Think Aleks Zinchenko’s red card at Tottenham or Fernandinho’s goalline save at Chelsea.
As the Premier League title defence went awry last season with Liverpool running away with the league, City picked up 58 bookings and four red cards at an average of 1.6 per game. The champions averaged one card per game with only one sending off. Only one team picked up more red cards than City in the last campaign.
So while the defence needed outside improvement, the discipline issue required fixing from inside.
And in fairness, City have been on their best behaviour from the start of the campaign - especially important due to the condensed schedule that has seen plenty of injuries and illness force absences.
Part of this improvement could be the nature of City’s form. When you’re controlling games as City are doing, there is no need to make any rash challenges. Last season, a tactical foul might have been necessary to keep hopes of winning points alive.
You can have good or bad luck with injuries, VAR, and even decision making in both boxes. Some things you can’t control. However, in a season where as many players are needed as possible, one things you can control is your discipline.
City are doing just that, and it could be as important as any signing they made over the summer.
AYMERIC Laporte was not impressed with VAR after City’s win over Wolves.
The Blues have matched their club record for 28 games unbeaten, and are on a run of 21 wins in succession.
However, Laporte still wasn’t happy after the match as he felt the decision to overrule his firsthalf effort for offside was questionable.
With City comfortable and a goal up, the Frenchman reacted quickest to a Bernardo Silva flick-on to smash home a second. However, the flag went up and VAR eventually judged that his arm was ever so slightly offside.
There was no way Laporte gained an advantage from the offside, and fans were unhappy as it seemed like the lines were initially drawn to show the Frenchman was onside.
For a while, it looked like the decision would come to haunt City as Conor Coady equalised for Wolves, but a Gabriel Jesus brace either side of Riyad Mahrez’s well-taken finish earned the win.
Laporte referenced the VAR decision on social media among a number of posts congratulating his team. On Instagram he posted a picture of the VAR call with three skeptical emojis.
And on Twitter, he posted a picture of his celebration before it was cut short by the review.
Raheem Sterling, meanwhile, apologising to Fantasy Football managers for his quiet game.
The England international had several chances to score but found Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio in good form, so he Tweeted after the game: “It just wouldn’t go in! Sorry for the FPL points! #nottonight #still21andcounting.”