Manchester City must overcome defensive frailties
The game that settled the 2019-
Premier League title was a microcosm
of the season. Manchester City played
some extraordinary possession
football. They moved the ball around
in mesmerising patterns. At times,
particularly in the opening quarter
of the game, there was a sense of
greatness about them, such that
the thought Liverpool had a lead
of more than 20 points felt vaguely
incredible. And then Chelsea broke,
Benjamin Mendy dived in and
Christian Pulisic scored.
That’s the way it was all season
for City. They dominated games and
struggled to create or take chances
at times but, more especially, they
were extremely vulnerable to quick
counter attacks. Even in the second
half at Stamford Bridge, as City
equalised and began to assert
pressure, Chelsea kept troubling
them with balls in behind the back
four. It’s that, really, that was the
difference between Liverpool
and City.
Liverpool maintained the high
standards of their 2018-19 season- indeed, through November and
December probably exceeded
them; City did not. After that game
at Stamford Bridge, both Liverpool
and City had played 31 games. At
that point, City had scored eight
goals more than Liverpool, but
Jurgen Klopp’s side had conceded
14 fewer (afterwards, with the title
won, Liverpool’s focus wavered).
It’snotinanywaytodownplaythe
excellence of Liverpool’s attacking
play to observe that the reason
they won the title was the quality
of their defending.
Which raises a vital question:
pressing and preventing the counter
has always been a key part of the
Pep Guardiola philosophy. HisBarcelona side were masters of it.
They pioneered a number of aspects
that have been so widely adopted
they now seem basic. One player
would go to the man with the ball,three others forming a ring around
him to cut off passing options. If
the ball wasn’t won back within five
seconds of it being lost, they would
fall back into their defensive shape.
It was so new, so ferociously acted
that Alex Ferguson admitted his side
had been bewildered by Barcelona’s
intensity both in the 2009 and 2011
Champions League finals.
Yet increasingly, Guardiola sides
have proved to have a glass jaw. Get
through the press and they can be
exposed. That was brutally clear
last season. With the ball, City were
brilliant, which is why they scored
four or more on11 occasions. But
without it they were badly flawed.THEWORLD THIS MONTH
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Jonathan
WILSON
Nine league defeats is a huge
number for a club of their stature,
and they were exposed not only
by the likes of Liverpool and
Manchester United, but also by
Southampton and Norwich City.
It may be that is primarily an
issue of personnel. The decision not
to sign a replacement for Vincent
Kompany looks baffling, particularly
given the questions over the form of
John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi,Laporte...keeping
the centre-back fit
will be key to City’s
2020-21 hopesIncreasingly, Guardiola sides have proved
to have a glass jaw. Get through the
press and they can be exposed
Van Dijk...few
defenders combine
technique and
strength like the
Liverpool man