Manchester City lost this Saturday on the lawn of Aston Villa (2-1), at the same time giving up their fifth place in the Premier League and letting many mid-table clubs come back on their heels. The free fall continues for Pep Guardiola’s men.
3 mins
The most important thing is not the fall, but the landing. And Manchester City would like to know when this will take place, because for the moment, the free fall continues inexorably. The reigning four-time English champion conceded his third consecutive defeat at Aston Villa (2-1) on Saturday at the opening of the 17th day, thus ceding fifth place in the Premier League to the Birmingham club. With only one victory in the last twelve matches, Pep Guardiola, the Citizens coach, seems to have lost track.
With nine points behind leader Liverpool, who have two games in hand, Manchester City sees their last hopes of winning a fifth title disappear, and could even see Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton move ahead of them in the standings by end of this 17th day of the Championship.
Feverness and sterility
The first two minutes highlighted the glaring psychological feverishness of Guardiola’s players. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was called upon three times in three different phases during the first 95 seconds, with two decisive interventions in front of Jhon Duran, launched full axis, and Pau Torres, with a header, from a corner. The Citizens then dominated territorially, but with an attack handicapped by the chronic ineffectiveness of Erling Haaland (one goal in the last six matches).
Even more symptomatic of the crumbling of Guardiola’s organization was the opening score conceded a quarter of an hour into the game. Not his speed at first, since only ten seconds elapsed between goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s restart. , and Jhon Duran’s goal, the seventh in the league this season for the 21-year-old Colombian nugget. By its direct character too, the attack having been carried out in a straight line from the opening in depth of Youri Tielemans for Morgan Rogers who served Duran perfectly, without a City player being able to touch the ball (1-0, 16th).
Foden arrived too late
Transfixed, Manchester City took twenty minutes to react, with a strike from Phil Foden repelled by Emiliano Martinez (35th). A header from Josko Gvardiol, served by the former Villa man, Jack Grealish, whistled at each dribble, was not more effective (43rd). After the break, the replacement of John Stones, still irregular in the center of defense, by Kyle Walker, did not change the situation. City’s main playing master of the last ten years, Kevin de Bruyne, remained on the bench, despite the lack of imagination and creativity of the Sky Blues.
Aston Villa, who had demonstrated their ability to stand up to a big European player at Villa Park this fall (1-0 against Bayern Munich), created the main chances in the second half and took cover from the 64th minute (2-0) by Rogers, brand new English international, not worried by an amorphous defense. By rolling on the ball, Frenchman Lucas Digne gave Foden, the only one of his team to show a little aggression, the opportunity to reduce the score, but too late (2-1, 90+3).
Far from the gloominess of the visitors, this victory allows Unai Emery’s team, who were left with an unfortunate defeat at Nottingham Forest (2-1), to find a smile again and move ahead of their opponent of the day, in fifth position. A success at Everton’s next reception on Thursday, who have only won once away from home so far, looks imperative for City, otherwise they will spend the holidays in the doldrums.