Is attack the best form of defence for Man City title rivals?،
Pep Guardiola was of course right. After watching his Manchester City side lose the lead three times in Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he highlighted the Premier League standings (City are top) and the rapid progression of his team towards the knockout stage of the Champions League. proof that his players had not become “soft” this season.
Nobody had suggested this was the case, so perhaps Guardiola was playing mind games with his team by claiming that last season’s treble success had not affected the mindset and the determination of his players to win again. Perhaps it was just a timely reminder from the City manager that it will take another herculean effort this season to be anywhere close to repeating the remarkable feat of winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
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But with City heading into the international break one point clear at the top of the table (they were two points behind Arsenal after the same number of games a year ago), Sunday’s incredible match at Chelsea provided further proof that Guardiola’s side face an even tougher campaign this time around and that they need to prepare for a more competitive title race. It’s not that City have fallen a level from last season’s highs. The reality is that opponents are now better prepared to face them.
Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a shock 2-1 victory over City at Molineux earlier this season with a bold showing against the champions. Arsenal, meanwhile, ended their 12-match losing streak against Guardiola’s side last month with a 1-0 win at the Emirates, rooted in manager Mikel Arteta’s desire to play an attacking game by exploiting the offensive talents of his team. Chelsea employed the same cavalier approach.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored four and could have had more – Malo Gusto missed a golden opportunity by shooting over the crossbar late in the match. But even though City avoided defeat by scoring four goals, Chelsea’s attacking game plan caused uncharacteristic errors in the City team and led to chances that resulted in their goals.
Opponents played with more fear against City last season, perhaps because they were still trying to come up with a plan to nullify Erling Haaland’s goal threat. With it now quite clear that nothing can stop the Norway international from scoring, the teams decided that, rather than waiting for City’s inevitable goals by playing cautiously, they would take their chances by relying to to mark. Manchester United took a different approach when trying to contain their city rivals at Old Trafford last month, but Erik ten Hag’s side were ultimately blown away in a 3-0 defeat that could have been much worse , adding even more weight to the theory that attack is the best form of defense against Guardiola’s team.
City are still favorites to become champions this season and become the first team in English football history to win four consecutive league titles, but they have more rivals to their crown than last season, when only Arsenal were capable of take a challenge.
Arsenal are back this time around, trailing City by a single point in third place, while Liverpool separate the two teams in second place ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad on November 25. The Tottenham Hotspur leaders are now suffering a growing injury crisis after two successive defeats – Ange Postecoglou’s side are still just two points off the top – they will find it difficult to keep pace with key players James Maddison and Micky van de Ven ruled out until the new year, but they are still capable of taking points from City when they meet in Manchester on December 3. And the same goes for Aston Villa, who host City on December 6, and Newcastle, who have already derailed Guardiola’s game. are hoping for a quadruple this season by knocking City out of the Carabao Cup.
Yet while City clearly face a tougher field than last season, so do their rivals. Each of the top six (as things stand going into the November international break) can fight and United could yet add to that list if Ten Hag can convince their underperforming players into form that reflects their abilities. And Chelsea, despite their poor start to the season, have already taken points from Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and City.
The threat to City comes from one of their challengers breaking away from the pack and developing the ability to beat their rivals and embark on a winning run. Only Arsenal achieved this last season, but the Gunners, Liverpool and even Spurs are all capable of it.
City are still ahead, despite Kevin De Bruyne being injured since the season opener and John Stones missing much of the campaign. Their return to action will give City an even more formidable team and they will need it as teams now face them more than ever.
