Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United (30 Dec, 2023) Game Analysis،
Manchester City ended a run of three consecutive home draws in the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over bottom club Sheffield United on Saturday.
Goals from Rodri and Julian Álvarez in each half barely did justice to the dominance of City, who enjoyed 84% possession in a routine victory that at times felt like a training session.
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Phil Foden set up Rodri to open the scoring with a precise finish in the 14th minute, and the England midfielder was instrumental in City's second goal just after the hour as his pass was collected by Alvarez .
City, who had not won a home league game since early November, never had to step up a gear as Sheffield United defended deep to avoid a heavy defeat.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Although the points were welcome, better news for City was the sight of Kevin de Bruyne appearing on the bench, having been absent since the opening match of the season.
De Bruyne was ultimately unnecessary, but the sight of the Belgian playmaker warming up on the touchline in the second half sparked one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon.
City move ahead of Arsenal into third place with 40 points from 19 games, two points behind leaders Aston Villa and Liverpool. Sheffield United remain bottom of the table with nine points.
Pep Guardiola's City side have reached unprecedented heights this year, winning a treble including a maiden Champions League crown and last week becoming FIFA Club World Cup champions.
In truth, a home win over Sheffield United was tame in comparison, but after a swing in form it appears City are back in the groove as they begin the second half of the campaign.
“We learned from the last [home] match against Crystal Palace,” Rodri said of that 2-2 draw. “We had to stay focused and Sheffield had no intention of coming at us, so we had to keep the ball. This victory is important for us.”
City will also see Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland soon return from injury to strengthen their bid for a fourth consecutive Premier League title.
