Man City Highlights: Best of Man City
On Thursday, Manchester City defeated Arsenal 3-1 to move to the FA Cup’s fifth round. City also moved up to the top four of the Premier League with the victory.
The team led by Guardiola had a great night, putting on an excellent exhibition of offensive football. The game’s standout moment was Bernardo Silva’s jinking run, which left the Arsenal defence in disarray and resulted in a goal.
Goals
With their 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday, Man City improved to 2-0 on the year. The defending champions built on their win over Arsenal in the middle of last week and kept a one-point advantage at the top of the standings.
After Tim Ream fouled Julian Alvarez in the area, the winger Erling Haaland scored the game’s first goal in two minutes. With the plan, Haaland tied Andy Cole and Alan Shearer for the most Premier League goals in a single season with 34.
For City, the Norwegian was in fantastic form, wreaking havoc in the middle of the field and creating two superb chances for his teammates. He contributed to all four of City’s goals in the opening period, and his quickness and linkup play made him a constant danger to score on the break.
However, the home team fought back and equalized after 15 minutes when Carlos Vinicius volleyed home after a robust knockdown from Harry Wilson. Although Fulham had a great team goal to give them hope, City quickly recovered their lead after the break.
Despite being without their star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, City had what it took to hold on, secure the victory, and maintain their lead in the standings. Before Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford brought the hosts back, Bernd Leno played a solid defensive game to stop Jack Grealish from scoring the game’s first goal.
It was a fantastic derby victory for City, with both teams displaying exceptional talent. They controlled the middle and were never challenged, but United staged a late comeback due to two goals just three minutes apart. Now that the game is closing in ten minutes, anything may happen.
Goalkeeper
One of the best goalkeepers in modern football is Ederson. At City, he has won two Premier League championships, three Carabao Cups, an FA Cup, and two Community Shields.
He had a reputation as one of the top young goalkeepers in the world when he arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2017, but he’s also a great sweeper and ball distributor. He has played a significant role in Pep Guardiola’s team’s success this year and was essential to their title victory the previous year.
Since joining City, he has developed into the first-choice goalkeeper for a team that has won every game they have played, but he still has room for improvement. His kicking ability has been a continual problem, and at the highest level of the game, it’s also essential for him to keep the ball safe from opponents.
The Brazilian is dependable and a decent ball passer, but there have also been occasions when he has had trouble keeping up with his opponents. This was especially clear during last week’s 5-0 victory over Chelsea when his defensive shortcomings exposed him to the onslaught.
But it was obvious that he needed to be elevated further. Although it’s unclear if Matija Sarkic will experience that, Julen Lopetegui should prioritize it.
The victory over the Wolves at home is a timely reminder of how crucial it is to have a capable goalkeeper on your team. Wolves struggled to generate significant chances today, and their lack of speed greatly influenced City’s victory.
Defenders
One of the most successful clubs in the world is Man City. Some of the most thrilling offensive football ever played in English football has contributed to their success. But even with a group of genuinely exceptional players, Guardiola has had trouble creating a backline that can be wholly relied upon.
The defenders Guardiola chose for their 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Saturday are the most recent illustration of this. The City manager fielded four natural centre-backs at Selhurst Park: John Stones, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, and Manuel Akanji. This was due to Joao Cancelo being on loan at Bayern Munich, Sergio Gomez having difficulties settling in, and Kyle Walker getting into trouble last week.
Since Vincent Kompany’s departure, when City was pushed into a rotating system, their defence choices haven’t improved. The roster consists of a mix of one-year wonders and seasoned veterans, many of whom never fully developed their skills to the point where they could play frequently or be trusted as starters.
Kyle Walker stands out among the current crop because he has demonstrated a mature attitude to his game and is generally proving to be an excellent purchase for City. Although he is a strong defender, Guardiola isn’t afraid to occasionally use his ability to play the ball out to midfield.
Although he may not be the most visually appealing goalkeeper in FPL, at 5.5 million, he is the most reliable. His points per million rate make him the perfect choice for those who want a City goalkeeper but don’t want to use the three Liverpool spots or who just lack the funds to pay Alisson’s high price tag.
Midfielders
Man City has been a force this season, and their midfielders have been essential to that success. The club boasts a strong attacking midfield, allowing them to play with greater freedom and score goals while providing defence support.
The top players in the game can take the initiative during attacks and support their teammates. For instance, Sergio Aguero is a crucial player for City since his ability to score goals and set up assists are pretty helpful.
Fernandinho is another outstanding midfielder who plays with great talent and inventiveness. He significantly impacts the team and consistently tries to assist the other players.
He is a good player who has been very helpful to the group this year. He is an excellent midfielder and has scored several goals for the team.
Manchester City is a speedy squad that also plays excellent defence. They had a good first half and got off to a strong start.
At the start of the second half, Liverpool has an excellent chance to score, but Alisson stops. Additionally, he makes a superb save, and the referee penalizes him for the foul.
Salah moves along the right wing to gain possession of the ball. Gakpo receives the ball from him, but Alisson blocks his shot.
Forwards
The attackers for Man City are among the fiercest in the league. They can easily dismantle defences and are destructive in the final third of the field.
They have some of the top players in the industry, including several former Manchester United, Liverpool, and Real Madrid forwards, and they have unmatched goal-scoring rates. Additionally, they have a very balanced midfield and can be a formidable opponent.
Erling Haaland is a significant hit at City, and he is on pace to shatter the team’s single-season record for most league goals in a season (42) with his 42 goals already this season. Since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund, he has been a vital squad member; his contract is up in 2022.
He has a talent for scoring goals at vital times in games and is a fantastic ball passer. The Norwegian has scored in his previous five home games, and it is anticipated that he will keep up this pace as City attempts to win the triple crown this year.
With Fulham coming up, the City manager encouraged his star player to be even more aggressive in front of goal. He was rewarded for his tenacity on Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage when he scored his maiden Premier League goal.
In addition, Guardiola has chosen to line up John Stones in a midfield position alongside Rodri today rather than playing a traditional back four. That comes as a bit of a shock. This could indicate that Aymeric Laporte would replace Bernardo Silva in the starting lineup instead of the back three deployed against Arsenal in recent months to varying degrees of success.
