Manchester City have just ended a streak of 7 draws and losses in all competitions with a valuable victory over Nottingham Forest in round 14 of the Premier League. This result temporarily helps Pep Guardiola and his team relieve pressure to return to the championship race.
However, the Spanish strategist understands that this is just one match, among many challenges in the rest of the season.What needs to be done now is to quickly fix the weak points in the defense, before The Citizens have to face more difficult opponents.
According to The Athletic, Man City in the 2024-2025 season continues to create many opportunities with the expected goals ratio (xG) at a high level similar to previous seasons.However, the gaps in the defense are the weak point that threatens The Citizens' championship ambitions this season.In the last 10 matches, Pep Guardiola's army has gradually conceded more goals than the number of opportunities created.
This season, Man City's defense is not only vulnerable, but also receives more shots per match.According to statistics, the blue half of Manchester receives an average of 8.7 shots/match, of which 74% of the shots are made inside the penalty area.Previously, The Citizens had never received more than an average of 6.2 shots/match under Pep Guardiola.Not only that, the quality of shots on the Man City goal has also increased significantly.
The Athletic describes that the high defense and lack of pressure from the midfield have made Man City more vulnerable than ever.One of the most obvious weaknesses of The Citizens comes from crosses.According to statistics, Man City 2024-2025 is the least effective team against crosses in the Pep Guardiola era, allowing opponents to successfully complete 1/3 of their crosses.This rate puts the blue half of Manchester team on par with Everton and Wolves in terms of blocking passes into the penalty area.
The goal conceded by Liverpool at Anfield was a clear example of Man City's current problems. In the 12th minute, Andy Robertson freely passed the ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was unmarked. At this point, Man City's midfield was spread across the pitch but did not put the necessary pressure on the home team.
At the same time, the right midfielder in Pep Guardiola's 4-4-2 formation, Rico Lewis, was also hesitant about who to mark when there were two players in red shirts in front of him. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva was also forced to hold his position and could not rush forward to close in. This gave Trent enough time to take a look, before sending a smart pass to the blind spot behind Manuel Akanji, where Mohamed Salah was waiting.
Liverpool's chances became even clearer when Man City's two full-backs showed many weaknesses. Akanji did not approach and close enough to Salah to prevent the ball situation. The Egyptian striker was therefore able to dribble freely, have enough time to think and wait for enough players to attack.
In a 6v5 game, Man City's defenders and defensive midfielders covered most of the position and space in the penalty area. However, Kyle Walker was so engrossed in watching the ball that he overlooked Cody Gakpo at the far post who was running in after Salah's pass.
This goal was similar to the situation where Man City's defense lost to Tottenham Hotspur in round 12 of the Premier League. While the midfield lacked the necessary steel and pressure, the Citizens' defense was passive when facing high balls behind the defenders.
These poor performances are the result of a lack of stability in the defense, when Pep Guardiola has used 7 different center-backs in the Premier League this season. The biggest loss is the calf injury of Ruben Dias. The absence of the Portuguese center-back indirectly makes Man City lose in aerial duels, with a success rate of only 43.1%. This is the lowest rate for a Premier League team since the 2018-2019 season.
Man City's ambition to win titles will certainly be affected after a series of disappointing matches recently. At this time, Pep Guardiola needs to quickly fix and limit the weaknesses in his playing style and defense, if he does not want Man City to be left behind in the championship race.
