Man City just had a 4-1 victory over West Ham in round 20 of the Premier League, thereby keeping close to the Top 4 with only 2 points less. In the previous round, they also just won 3 points away against Leicester City. In the last 3 matches, they have not lost again, maybe the revival period is returning to Pep Guardiola and his team.
The opening goal of the match was determined by an own goal by Vladimir Coufal for West Ham. However, if it were not for Savinho's hammer-like finish on the left wing, the advantage would not have been in Man City's favor in the 10th minute.
Then, more than half an hour later, Savinho stirred up the left wing. The ball was poured into the penalty area as if set for Erling Haaland to jump high and head at the far post, doubling the gap for the Etihad team. It was his 14th headed goal in the Premier League, more than any other player since the Norwegian star joined Manchester City in 2023.
This is a rare match in the past few months, the reigning Premier League champions have regained their dominant image. Since the injuries of a series of key players, especially Rodri and Haaland in particular, and Man City in general, they have fallen miserably and it seems impossible to recover.
Haaland scores and Man City wins, that's the formula that has helped Pep continue to reign over the past 2 years. The Norwegian striker is the perfect shield to cover up the team's shortcomings. Therefore, once he drops in form, all of Man City's weakest points are exposed.
"In the past time, we are no longer ourselves with the strongest image in 8 years. Today, although the whole team won big, overall the playing style is still not good. If the opponent was lucky, City could have been 2 goals behind" - Pep Guardiola shared.
Apart from Erling Haaland's double, Savinho was the only bright spot for Man City in this match. Since his 40 million Euro move, the Brazilian star has been widely doubted about his ability but is gradually proving that he is not a bad deal. In the win over Leicester in the previous round, Savinho opened the scoring.
"A left-footed player, playing in a classic way on the left wing like Savinho can be a great help for Man City's strikers. The goals against Leicester and against West Ham today also have many similarities.
Savinho is gradually becoming something special in the Man City squad. In addition to his goals, his assists are also excellent. Savinho deserves to play more" - Pep Guardiola shared.
Pep must be the happiest person to witness Savinho's rapid growth. He once brought the young Brazilian star to Etihad with the hope of becoming a new artistic highlight in Man City's somewhat mechanical squad. At first, when Savinho could not meet the requirements, Pep was still very patient and gave him opportunities in secondary arenas. Now, when the team needs to regain momentum, the 20-year-old midfielder has shined and become someone who is seemingly irreplaceable.
When he is in Pep Guardiola's tactical system, Savinho will have to change to adapt even more. In the past time, when he has played too many positions and only now is he playing well, Savinho may have found the solution for his position.
