Man City Critics are wrong about 10-game winning run but Liverpool FC and Arsenal should still worry
Manchester City have not lost in 13 games, with the win over Everton in the Premier League their tenth in succession.
Erling Haaland is back among the goals for Manchester City, who are 13 games unbeaten.
It’s that time of year again. Manchester City have sorted out their issues and have begun one of their inevitable trademark winning runs. Liverpool and Arsenal had their chance, but the next four months will be a procession to the Premier League title for Pep Guardiola’s winning machine.
That’s the script we’re hearing once more after City edged past a stubborn Everton side this weekend to make it ten wins in a row in all competitions. Six have come in the Premier League, with the Blues 13 unbeaten since the dismal defeat at Aston Villa that was a fourth game without a win in five games.
Winning the Club World Cup has helped morale, as has the return of most of City’s injured players. Ten wins in a row is City’s best run of the season, and talk has turned to how many more wins they can manage. Contrary to popular belief, though, City aren’t yet at their best, and showed against Everton there is still room for improvement. That they still won and kept a clean sheet is a sign that the winning run may not show any signs of stopping just yet.
Key players returning
The statistic that Erling Haaland’s brace against Everton were his first Premier League goals since November raised eyebrows, but only until the context came that the striker was injured for two months and unavailable. Haaland is one of a number of key players back from injury, giving Pep Guardiola a full squad to pick from for the first time this season.
If Haaland can get back to his relentless scoring form, and De Bruyne can continue his contributions since returning – he has five assists and one goal since coming back at a rate of a one every 45 minutes – then it bodes well going forward.
The win at Brentford was the first time since the Champions League final when no player was unavailable, although Mateo Kovacic’s absence from the squad against Everton means it has still only happened once. Assuming Kovacic is not out for too long, City will hope to have all options available to them for the final four months of the season, and that can help maintain the winning run necessary to keep fighting on three fronts.
John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are both back and have both declared themselves free from their respective injuries, to join Haaland in giving Guardiola a world-class spine to his team that he hasn’t had all season. Not at the same time anyway – when De Bruyne was introduced just before the hour mark against Everton, it was the first time that he had been on the pitch with Stones and Haaland at the same time all season.
Best XI still not tested
With Stones, De Bruyne and Haaland still not used together in a starting XI all season, that means that Guardiola is yet to debut his strongest starting line-up since becoming treble-winners. The likes of Manu Akanji, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez have all impressed in covering roles for the injured trio, but it’s hardly controversial to say that City’s strongest team should have three of their best players in it.
To find his strongest team, Guardiola must find a way to fit in Foden, Alvarez, De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva into the same attack, with Foden’s form inside offering another option. Jack Grealish has found himself out of the team, and is another player Guardiola has to get the best out of with everyone fit, and some difficult decisions will have to be made.
At the back, Stones’ inclusion could mean that one of Akanji, Gvardiol, Nathan Ake and captain Kyle Walker will have to drop out of the starting lineup, however good they have been at times this season. When it comes to chasing down the three titles, however, some of those who have got City to the new year still in contention will have to sit out the key games coming up.
Winning games when playing poorly
It’s an overused cliche, but the sign of a good team is to win games when playing poorly. Guardiola tinkered with his formation against Everton, abandoning width, and for 70 minutes it didn’t work. City didn’t have a shot on target until Haaland’s opener, with De Bruyne coming off the bench to seal the win. Against Brentford, City were facing a tough evening after conceding first until Foden’s midfield masterclass earned three points. In truth, they have not been at their very best for a while, even if the results are continuing to roll in and performances are admittedly improving.
That should be taken as a positive. With key men returning and room for improvement, the run should be extended when everything does come together. John Stones has identified clean sheets as a key statistic to improve, which should take the pressure off the forwards. City have only kept six clean sheets in the league all season.
With the Champions League returning and key Premier League fixtures on the horizon, City will need momentum to keep their wins coming. To know there is another level or two to reach as well should help significantly.
Right mentality in the squad
Guardiola said his squad are ‘alive’ when it comes to their mentality after the Everton win, even if he criticised their first-half attitude.
“I know the team because I see them every day, my opinion is it’s fresher and better and not been affected by the fact that we lose games or not continue to be there,” he said.
“Always the game [today] was there. With Erling and Kevin we are stronger, it’s obvious. When a team loses consistency or we have to be worried is the way they train, the way they behave and the way they run. Always was that. When that happens the team is alive and I was never concerned.
“After the treble since day one I didn’t have that feeling. We can play bad, yeah, first half was good? No. Why? We didn’t read what you have to do. It happens. I said in half-time, 38 games in a row, what do you expect? Win 3-0 or 4-0 after 20 minutes against Everton every single time? No.”
Haaland agreed, saying: “We just need to be up there, and we know what we need to do. We need to keep on winning – we’ve been winning a lot whilst I’ve been injured so we just need to keep going and doing that. We are up there but there are several other good teams. We’re good as well and we have to take it game by game.”
While Guardiola is playing down talk of a second successive treble, players like Stones are daring to dream, saying ‘never say never’. “Whether we do it or not, we’ll wait and see. But to believe and to have that goal is massively important,” he said. “I don’t think anything’s impossible to do and with this group and mentality and players we’ve got. It’s something I’d love to do again.”
City know what is needed to put their winning runs together that catapult them from outsiders to favourites. It’s clear that mentality is returning, and the desire to emulate last season is spurring them on.
Help from Arsenal and Liverpool
Last season, Arsenal took City all the way, and the Blues knew there was no room for error during the run-in. A winning run wasn’t a choice, it was essential, and it ultimately put the pressure back on Arsenal who couldn’t match them. Liverpool fared better in the face of City’s winning machine in previous title races, but still couldn’t stop the Blues from marching to the title.
This year, both rivals are at the top of the table to set up what could be an exciting three-horse race. Liverpool lead City and Arsenal by two points, but City have a game in hand coming up against Brentford. The showdown with Klopp’s men at Anfield and the visit of Arsenal next month will be defining. Arsenal’s ruthless 6-0 win over West Ham on Sunday reminded both rivals that they remain genuine contenders, and that six-goal margin saw the Gunners draw level with City when it comes to goal difference. Liverpool’s goal difference is just one better.
With both rivals continuing to win, City will know that once again they cannot afford any more slip-ups. The title is in their hands, but that can easily change in a short period. City’s fixtures will increase in difficulty in March, with a Manchester derby, Champions League last-16 second leg, and a run of Liverpool away, Brighton away, Arsenal at home and Aston Villa at home. Spurs away await in April, along with FA Cup and Champions League knockout games.
Add a fully fit squad, key players back in form, more clean sheets and better all-round performances, and City will be confident of turning ten wins in a row into 15 or even 20.
Critics will tell you that is inevitable, but City know better than to look too far ahead. They will continue to take things one game at a time, and results will take care of themselves. When City are in this mood, though, it feels the only team who can stop them are themselves.
Extending the ten-game run is far from guaranteed, and those outside the Etihad would do well to remember it. But it’s very, very possible.
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