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There are no prizes for guessing who has the easiest preparation for the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday.
For Pep Guardiola, this walk against Fulham and a dead rubber at home against Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a tough comeback at West Ham and a decisive group match in Leipzig on Tuesday night.
The only thing not in Guardiola’s favor is that Manchester City reach derby 183 with 24 hours less recovery time, but that will matter little if he makes wholesale changes against Marseille. The Spaniard couldn’t have wished for better preparation before facing Solskjaer, who has won three of the last four meetings between the two.
The win over Fulham was so comfortable that Guardiola, a staunch defender of using five substitutes this season, became the first City manager since Stuart Pearce more than 15 years ago not to use one in a league game.
Guardiola’s 700th match as coach was made and dusted in 26 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne set up Raheem Sterling for the first goal, then converted a penalty after Sterling fell under the challenge of Joachim Andersen. Work done.
It could easily have been a repeat of City’s 5-0 win over Burnley a week earlier, as they posted back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Fulham tend not to cause them too much trouble, City have won their last 10 games against Londoners by a 29-3 aggregate score, but Guardiola’s side is clearly taking shape after a difficult start to the season.
The goals flow again and, what is more important for the coach, they have stopped entering from the other side. This was City’s fourth consecutive clean sheet. The closest Ederson came to being defeated was a John Stones throwback.
“We are in a good moment,” Guardiola said. “It is important that we have won and that the defenders did not make mistakes or give away goals. We fight at the beginning of the season for many reasons. Now four games, four clean sheets. It is very important for us to maintain this solidity. ‘
Guardiola reviewed the names of Ruben Dias, Eric Garcia, Benjamin Mendy and Joao Cancelo for their contributions in recent weeks, but Aymeric Laporte remains a notable absentee.
Once indispensable, the Frenchman has not appeared since City’s loss to Tottenham five games ago. Dias is the main man now, with a revival of the Stones alongside him. “We are all fighting for our places,” Stones said. ‘When you have the opportunity, you have to seize it. On a personal note, I am made up.
Thanks to Fulham for trying in the second half. It is not easier for Scott Parker’s team, with Liverpool next Sunday.
“This is not a minimum for us,” Parker said. ‘A team that lacks faith, that lacks true assertiveness, is a dead team. We will never lack faith.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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