Manchester City are on a disappointing run of form with just one win in their last 10 games. It is hard to believe that a team with a star-studded squad and a talented coach like Pep Guardiola is in this situation. In fact, the situation may continue for the Etihad team.
The “Blue Half” of Manchester is stuck in a vicious cycle, where a series of key players are injured, while the remaining players show signs of fatigue. This makes the team, which is already lacking strength and flexibility in midfield due to Rodri’s long-term absence, more vulnerable to counter-attacks.
“At the moment, it seems like every attack we receive is very dangerous. I feel like sometimes the team is a bit careless in the challenges. Instead of playing simple, we make things more complicated and miss the right time to pass the ball or clear the ball.
We kept losing the ball and they scored in transition. Players had to chase 50, 60 metres. That's not the way Man City play. We are built to control the ball, keep the ball, be strong and even if you can't do anything in the challenge, don't lose the ball. At the moment, things are not going as we want" - Ilkay Gundogan shared after the defeat to Juventus.
City have been vulnerable on the counter-attack since Rodri’s injury but they were able to win against Fulham and Wolves earlier in the season. That could be the level of the Citizens if they had all their key players. Even if they are not at their best, Guardiola’s side are certainly not so weak as to win just one game in 10.
Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff had hoped things would improve after the November international break, with many key players returning from injury. However, Man City's efforts to get back close to their best have been thwarted once again.
John Stones was forced off in his first game back. Even City's win over Nottingham Forest was overshadowed by injuries to Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, the impact of which was felt in the following two games. The Citizens also suffered further setbacks with Mateo Kovacic and Phil Foden both unavailable.
Foden has not been able to reproduce the brilliant form of last season when De Bruyne was absent for about 10 weeks, which greatly affected Man City's creativity. In addition, Guardiola's army also showed signs of fatigue in the remaining positions. In particular, The Citizens' attack has never shown such a serious deadlock as it is now.
“The solution is to give me the players back and the team will do it but that is not possible right now. Our back four came back last week and then they had problems again.
They should have time to train and get used to the rhythm of the game, but we can't do that in the current situation. The players have been playing consistently for many years and there will come a time when their bodies can't take it anymore" - Pep Guardiola shared.
During his time at Man City, Pep Guardiola has rotated his players constantly, but he has had to use Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan in six consecutive matches since FIFA Days in November. Those who have just returned from injury, such as De Bruyne and Ruben Dias, have also had to struggle to play. This is not the way Pep wants to manage his team.
Foden and Kovacic were on the bench in Turin but did not play, meaning they could be available for the Manchester derby this weekend. They will bring freshness and a bit of excitement but probably won’t really solve their counter-attacking problems. City’s midfield is currently down to Dias, Gvardiol, Walker and youngster Simpson-Pusey.
In reality, Man United's situation is not much better and Man City's class is still considered higher than their big city rivals. However, when you see the worries of Pep Guardiola and Ilkay Gundogan, it is difficult to see things at the Etihad improving consistently immediately.
