Like clockwork, Manchester City have become momentarily stuck in the mud around the start of November.
It happens almost every year. And almost every year, the others scrap among themselves for months on end, only for Pep Guardiola to be grinning while gripping a sky blue-ribboned trophy in May.
So while three defeats in seven days – all in separate competitions and their first losing streak of this kind since 2018 – will cause some alarm around the Etihad Stadium, writing City off would be an exercise in folly.
It would be to ignore everything that has gone before under this extraordinary manager whose genius is finding mid-season tactical solutions that navigate new problems. He’s done it over and over and only a fool would bet against him doing it again.
But hearing Bernardo Silva confess that City find themselves in a ‘dark place’ after the chastening 4-1 reverse at Sporting, at the hands of Manchester United’s new manager no less, does suggest the squad require a jolt. They badly need this month’s international break and have to negotiate a trip to Brighton before that.
Man City suffered a chastening 4-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon in a third defeat within seven days
Bernardo Silva confessed Man City are in a ‘dark place’ but Pep Guardiola disagreed
Man City have found themselves stuck regularly at this time of year before achieving success
There are issues at the moment and City hope that time away could help ease them.
Although bemoaning the injury list – which was briefly up to nine last week, leaving them with only 11 senior outfield players available – Guardiola has chosen not to take countless opportunities to use general fitness as an excuse.
It had been a fear in the summer, detailed in these pages, that the lack of pre-season as a squad – and thus meaningful fitness for those afforded a month off following the international tournaments – would come back to bite City in the autumn. August and September saw players work off the adrenaline of being back yet the core fitness required to cope with three games a week hadn’t been built up.
Guardiola could have called back his internationals – the likes of Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Rodri and Savinho – after a mandated three-week holiday but remained committed to lengthier breaks, which have proven positive for conserving energy later in seasons. According to FIFPro, the global footballers’ union, six of the top 10 players across the world to have averaged 60 games or more every year since 2018 are in City’s squad.
What Guardiola can’t have legislated for is Rodri, the Ballon d’Or winner, suffering a double knee injury and the star of pre-season, Oscar Bobb – who was going to be given the nod on the right wing, allowing Savinho an acclimatisation period – suffering a leg fracture.
Kevin De Bruyne has only featured for 439 minutes in all competitions, Walker just 43 minutes more. Nathan Ake’s on 252.
Jack Grealish and Stones, along with Jeremy Doku, have all had spells out. Foden is now coming to the fore following a stop-start beginning to the campaign, largely through illness.
The load on others has therefore felt too much. Four players – Rico Lewis, Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji – are all projected to hit 4,000 minutes for the season if they continue at this rate.
Phil Foden was among those given an extended rest post Euros but is now coming to the fore
Guardiola could not legislate for Rodri’s knee injury, which will keep him out for the season
Oscar Bobb starred in pre-season, but his injury forced Savinho to be used more than planned
For context, only two outfield stars, Haaland and Rodri, reached those numbers in the Treble season.
When asked if everybody available is fully fit, Guardiola says yes.
But one club source said yesterday: ‘Everyone looks pretty tired.’
Guardiola has said that City wouldn’t be expending too much energy on the Carabao Cup and seeing joviality among the substitutes as they lost at Tottenham last week confirmed as much.
That tie could have gone either way, whereas the display at Bournemouth at the weekend fell well below City’s normal standards, in 2-1 defeat.
A team meeting, described as a lengthy debrief, ensued back at the training ground on Sunday when views about performances were aired.
Rico Lewis is among the Man City players currently on track to play 4,000 minutes this season
A meeting was held after the defeat to Bournemouth where views on performances were aired
Then came Sporting in the Champions League, a night which saw them defensively open and there is a general Rodri-shaped hole in central midfield that is impacting everything City attempt to do.
The ability to cover ground appears to be lacking, while an imprecision on the ball has become noticeable. The returning Ilkay Gundogan has been particularly loose in the final third, in the sort of moments he has always thrived previously, but he is by no means the only culprit.
Some senior players are said to have had their heads down when at the training ground in recent weeks after scares against Fulham and Wolves – albeit both ending in victories – and the slightly hard work made of beating Southampton 1-0. Yet they remain just two points off the top in the Premier League, out of a competition that didn’t hold much importance and still well-placed in Europe.
Guardiola, known from shielding his players in public, had seemed agitated at questions around their form earlier in the week, maintaining that the side are playing well. He also profoundly disagreed with Silva’s claim of being in a dark place, although before the last two defeats softly intimated that some could be living off past glories. Asked if everybody was giving everything to the cause, he then replied: ‘Yes.’
The wisdom has always been that the manager will decide his future this month (November is when he’s signed his last two contract extensions) and a firm answer on that might be helpful moving forward.
Meanwhile, Silva hit upon a salient point during his interview on leaving the pitch in Lisbon, effectively saying that scoring goals was becoming hard work. That they had to go the extra mile in order to find the net.
Haaland has scored 14 goals this season with a huge gap to the next highest scorers on three
Guardiola has maintained his side are playing well but the Man City boss has plenty to ponder
The opposition low blocks are more refined than ever and, without that spark in midfield – the sort of spark De Bruyne and a fully fit Foden provide – proper clear-cut chances are trickier to engineer.
While missing some decent opportunities including the penalty that hit the bar on Tuesday, Haaland has 14 goals – on par with his expected goals metrics and out-performing it in the league.
There is a huge gap to a cluster of others, all on three: Gvardiol, Kovacic, Foden, Stones and Matheus Nunes. While appearing dangerous, the wingers need to contribute more in a numbers sense and a lack of a midfield runner beyond Haaland is striking.
Guardiola will not be panicking but has plenty to ponder.
