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“It just doesn’t feel good to see them like this,” Gary Neville said. the Sky sports The expert spoke during the final stages of Saturday’s derby as Manchester City, such a potent attacking force for so long under Pep Guardiola, shuffled forward harmlessly.
There were 86 minutes on the clock at Old Trafford at the time and City had only managed one shot on goal. Manchester United had fared no better, of course, but it was more unusual to see this City team settle for a draw. “He’s just not Pep Guardiola,” Neville added.
Perhaps this point at Old Trafford will prove valuable at the end of the season. Manchester City had lost three of the previous four derbies, so Guardiola had reason to be cautious. But Manchester United were there to be taken after their Champions League exit at the hands of RB Leipzig in the middle of the week.
And given that City already have ground to make up for Tottenham and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table, it looks more like two points lost than one won.
The debate over Guardiola’s approach to the game will surely continue, but what is most concerning for City is that Saturday’s performance was not the first to have lacked momentum and imagination of late. For the first time with the Catalan, City have big problems in attack.
It’s uncharted territory for a team that has averaged 101 goals per season in the last three Premier League campaigns. Even last year, when they finished 19 points behind Liverpool, they were just four goals behind the record of 106 goals they set two years earlier.
4:58
Gary Neville insists that some Manchester City players look bored, while Roy Keane said this City team doesn’t look like a champion after their 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby.
City’s shortcomings under Guardiola, when there have even been any, have generally occurred at the other end of the field, but not now.
Having ranked first among Premier League teams for both goals scored and expected goals in each of the last three seasons, this time they rank tenth and eighth together respectively, albeit with one game in hand. . City are not scoring enough goals and they are not creating enough chances.
Burnley’s 5-0 win in late November hinted they had rediscovered their rhythm, but Saturday’s goalless draw with United came after a modest 2-0 win over relegation-struggling Fulham. , the kind of opponent that would have blown away before. . City have only scored 17 goals in 11 Premier League games in total.
Kevin de Bruyne continues to generate opportunities at a prolific rate. In fact, his 3.35 per 90-minute average this season puts him only behind Bruno Fernandes in the Premier League. But there are problems around him. His frustration could be seen in the way he gestured with his teammates about his lack of movement against United.
As brilliant as De Bruyne is, he can’t do it all on his own and City is finding out. The Belgian has produced six assists in the Premier League this season, but no other City player has recorded more than one. With David Silva out and Phil Foden still without Guardiola’s full confidence, the creativity of the team has suffered and there is also a greater lack of cohesion and urgency.
“Even when they’ve struggled in the last 12 months or so, I haven’t seen them that slow on the ball,” Neville said during the first half at Old Trafford. “[Guardiola] looking at him thinking, ‘This is not what I want. This is not how we play during training week. ‘
“It’s really basic. You usually see a lot of turnover, a lot of little combinations, but it’s like watching any other team right now.”
It is a matter of completion and creativity.
Ferran Torres has done well in cup competitions, scoring five goals in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, but his top scorer in the Premier League after 11 games is Riyad Mahrez with four, with three of them coming in a single game.
Sergio Agüero has been deeply missed.
The Argentine, who underwent knee surgery in the summer, marked his return to action with a goal when he came as a substitute in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League, but illness caused him to I wasn’t even in shape for the final. bench at Old Trafford.
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Pep Guardiola insisted that he was happy with a point against Manchester United
Gabriel Jesus is struggling to fill the void. The Brazilian scored in his first three appearances of the season, against Wolves, Olympiakos and Liverpool, but is now without a goal in six. Against United, he seized his only chance, volleying high and deflected from Mahrez’s pass in the first half. He didn’t get another chance all night.
Jesus was equally ineffective against Fulham, playing the full 90 minutes without registering a single shot. In fact, he has only scored four attempts all season in the Premier League and not a single one since a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in early November.
Guardiola hopes that Agüero’s return to top form will give City the advantage they currently lack in the rival area. Especially with Raheem Sterling struggling to get close to his performance from previous seasons. But it’s as much about creating opportunities as it is about seizing them. Aguero’s absence hasn’t helped, but it doesn’t fully explain City’s recent problems in attack.
Guardiola’s challenge is to find a way to generate better scoring opportunities as a team, without relying solely on De Bruyne. These are problems unknown to one of soccer’s great attacking coaches. But if his Manchester City team is to return to its previous heights, it must return to what it does best.
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