1. MIDFIELD THREE MISSING
Manchester City coasted to the title last season because they had the best midfield. Between them, Kevin de Bruyne, Fernandinho and David Silva either scored or assisted in 52 of City's 106 league goals. Silva missed 10 games because of his son's premature birth, so that total would have been higher.
This season, they have not started one league game together because of injury problems for de Bruyne and Silva, and most recently Fernandinho (above) as well.
What City have missed is a perfectly balanced midfield. They have one attacking left-footer (Silva), one attacking right-footer (de Bruyne) and, in Fernandinho, they have a destroyer who sits deep and protects.
City also miss David Silva because of his understanding with Leroy Sane down the left.
Bernardo Silva, with five goals, has performed well in de Bruyne's position but he is starting to feel the strain. He said: "It's the toughest time since I came here."
2. CANNOT DEFEND HIGH BALLS
City's inability to defend high balls in their box is a problem that manager Pep Guardiola has known about since his maiden season in England.
"It's difficult to defend against long balls. In Spain and Germany, it doesn't happen. I have to learn," said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.
Two years on, City's aerial struggles remain.
City have one of the shortest squads in the league. They have only five outfield players who are 1.85m or taller (Aymeric Laporte, Danilo, Sane, John Stones and Vincent Kompany). Given that Danilo and Kompany barely play, that leaves just three tall players in the team at any one time.
Some of City's costliest goals have come from high crosses into the box, such as Leicester's opener on Wednesday, David Luiz's header (above) in the defeat by Chelsea and Willy Boly's diving header in the 1-1 draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
3. FULL-BACKS' POOR FORM
The return of Benjamin Mendy (above) from a serious knee injury was supposed to make City's defence complete again but the left-back position remains an area of weakness.
At the start of the season, the 24-year-old recorded five assists in his opening seven games but his form then dipped.
Guardiola has no like-for-like replacement for Mendy. Fabian Delph filled in adequately last season but this term he has not been as good, particularly when it comes to his positional discipline.
City have also struggled because they do not have adequate competition for Kyle Walker, the right-back.
Danilo has not played consistently well since joining from Real Madrid 18 months ago, so when Walker plays poorly - as he did against Crystal Palace - Guardiola can only bring in a far less mobile and effective replacement.
THE TIMES, LONDON
Dec 22, 2017 · Jurgen Klopp put a productive spin on Liverpool's disappointing day at the "Today we make individual mistakes and that is not cool." That led a dry spell which pushed the side as low
Klopp urges Liverpool to overlook past agony in front of
Atletico extend lead over Real with narrow win over Eibar La Liga / 20 April 2019, 7:09pm / Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone gestures during their La Liga clash against Eibar on Saturday.
Atletico extend lead over Real with narrow win over Eibar
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says his team's first-half display at Liverpool was one from a side "not ready" to challenge for the title.
The latest odds on Spurs to win the Premier League title as
"As a striker, all you want to do is score goals, that's all you live to do, and if you can get 30 games out of Sturridge for the whole season, then you've got one hell of a player.
Arsenal will not make the Champions League and this is why
Jose Mourinho lands punditry role as he rules himself out of Benfica job Independent.ie Jose Mourinho has landed his first role since his sacking by Manchester United - as a pundit for broadcaster
Mourinho rules himself out of Benfica job - uk.sports.yahoo.com
Lionel Messi was short of fitness and Barcelona lacked spark as a goalless draw away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday offered fresh hope to their rivals in the title race. A thigh injury had limited Messi to 27 minutes against Real Madrid on Wednesday and while he played the full match at San Mames, Barca's assistant coach Jon Aspiazu had admitted
Barca give fresh hope to La Liga rivals after Bilbao stalemate
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been crowned PFA Player of the Year for 2018-19, with Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling winning the Young Player of the Year award.
Virgil van Dijk and Vivianne Miedema named PFA players of the
Ranieri Lined Up as Roma Sack Di Francesco After Champions
England must keep being ruthless - Phil Neville England manager Phil Neville urged his players to "keep being ruthless" after their levels dropped in the second half of a 2-1 win over Scotland.
Today's back pages: Lionesses fear no one at World Cup but
Neville wants his Lionesses to be ruthless, Football News
Iran-Iraq War. The first ban was imposed in 1980 after an Olympic qualifying play-off between Iraq and Kuwait in Baghdad, where the match referee was attacked by enraged home fans and members of the Iraqi team after the Malaysian official's decision to award a match changing penalty to the Kuwaitis that led to Iraq losing 3-2.
Asian Cup: 'proud' Son Heung-min sparks South Korea to easy
watch soccer online free streaming live espn
watch coppa america live streaming ronaldo7
watch coppa america live streaming online free
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch champions league live stream gratis
khan tv pw watch indian premier league 2018 live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming qatar
watch coppa america live streaming sub eng
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming espn
watch uefa champions league quarter final draw live streaming
watch soccer live football streaming - ronaldo7.net
watch soccer live streaming juventus
watch live soccer game barcelona vs real madrid
watch coppa america live streaming free online
watch soccer online free streaming live english
watch soccer live streaming jamaica
watch coppa america live streaming quality
watch coppa america live streaming video
watch coppa america live streaming portugal
watch premier league live streaming live free
watch soccer live streaming mobile
watch champions league live streaming vk
watch champions league draw live stream total sportek
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch iceland soccer live stream
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming
watch afghanistan premier league live stream
watch premier league live streaming xbox one
watch champions league final live streaming online
watch champions league final live streaming
watch premier league live streaming juventus vs manchester united
watch champions league final online free live streaming
watch barclays premier league online live streaming
soccer tv live football streaming portugal
free watch soccer live streaming
watch tamil nadu premier league live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming now
watch soccer online free streaming live app
watch premier league live streaming online
watch premier league stream reddit
watch coppa america live streaming eng
watch champions league live streaming bein sport
watch premier league live streaming vf
soccer tv live football streaming reddit
watch champions league soccer live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming without cable
watch english premier league live streaming free
watch karnataka premier league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming zee tv
watch coppa america live streaming philippines
where to watch free live soccer streaming online
watch soccer live streaming kenya
watch real madrid vs juventus live streaming of champions league
watch soccer online free streaming live dracula
watch coppa america live streaming youtube
watch premier league net live stream channel
watch soccer live streaming zimbabwe
watch hd soccer live streaming free
watch champions league live streaming live
watch premier league darts live stream
watch champions league live streaming pakistan
watch champions league live streaming espn
watch soccer games live stream free app
how to watch soccer live streaming free
watch us soccer live stream
watch champions league live streaming cricfree
watch coppa america live streaming xbox
watch coppa america live streaming vivo
watch champions league live streaming xbox
watch champions league online free live streaming hd
watch soccer online free streaming live without registration
watch coppa america live streaming canada
watch champions league live streaming crictime
watch champions league live streaming malaysia
watch champions league live streaming video
watch soccer games live stream free
watch live premier league football streaming online for free
watch champions league soccer live streaming
watch live streaming soccer manchester united
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming online free
watch soccer online free streaming live iphone
watch coppa america live streaming xfinity
watch soccer live streaming qatar vs philippines
watch coppa america live streaming kenya
watch uefa champions league draw live streaming free online
watch sky sports premier league online free streaming live
watch usa soccer live stream
watch champions league live streaming canada
watch live premier league football streaming online for free iraqgoals
watch coppa america live streaming manchester united
how to watch premier league live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live south africa
watch coppa america live streaming bola
free live football streams watch live streaming tv premier league
watch soccer live live football streaming cr7
watch premier league live streaming xfinity
watch champions league live streaming manchester united
watch premier league live streaming yify
watch coppa america live streaming twitch
super soccer tv live streaming piala dunia
watch coppa america live streaming totalsportek
watch champions league live streaming bola
watch coppa america live streaming free
watch soccer live streaming xfinity
watch soccer online free streaming live bbc
watch live soccer game today
watch coppa america live streaming hotstar
watch english premier league live streaming hd
super soccer tv live streaming garuda select
watch live streaming soccer online espn3
watch coppa america live streaming sctv
watch coppa america live streaming barcelona
watch live soccer streaming on android
watch barclays premier league live streaming online free
watch premier league live streaming xbox
#girlsniteout #comics #neymar #24x7 #liverpoolcity #oasis #premierleague #battuteepiche #realmadridcf #cr7 #sunderlandafc #hoffenhiem #uefanationsleague #kopisusu #juventus #valcea #433skills #kickoff #ignoranza #henderson #league1 #JUVENTUS #Barcelona #kroenkeout #league2 #bayervshoffenheim #freekickerz #lovefootball #thebeatles #myfootballuniverse #GarageCafeDxb #4Series #romania #soccerbible #acmilan #manchestercity #golf #mane #fut #tokyo #cappucino #championsleague #arsenalfantv #oasisofficial #nationsleague #copaamerica #americanfootball #championship #goal #rockstar #klopp #nikesoccer #beatifulgame #PartyTime #mancityvsliverpool #satira #watchlive #freekick #gym #zidane #bayernmunich #Fcb #goodday #premierleague #visubal #jadwalbolahariini #nutmeg #pagani
No comments:
Post a Comment