City’s Basics Blunder: A Comedy of Football Fumbles…
It’s déjà vu all over again for Pep Guardiola, with echoes of Fabian Delph’s stern voice rattling around the Etihad. Remember Delph calling his mates out for forgetting the basics? Well, City could use a refresher course, and pronto! Despite Guardiola’s magic wand for extravagant football, it seems a crash course in Basics for Beginners is overdue. Saturday’s 2-2 slapstick with Brighton was the latest episode in what seems to be a never-ending series of bumbles and fumbles.
Picture this: Brighton backing their muscle with a disallowed goal and an opening bombardment, proving once more they weren’t there to be rollovers. Ruben Dias, calling the new signings ‘starving’ for success, was served some Marmoush magic – unleashing the crowd with a daring dash right after that goal-that-wasn’t. However, City’s defense then decided to audition for a comedy show, gifting Pervis Estupinan a role in their blooper reel with a free-kick that left even Stefan Ortega flabbergasted.
Things swung City’s way again when Marmoush unleashed a thundering strike. But wait! Enter stage left – more defensive pratfalls leading to Jack Hinshelwood’s ball ricocheting off of Abdukodir Khusanov, tying things up again. Jeremy Doku chased redemption, but as chances sailed wide and substitutions puzzled rather than perked up City spirits, fans perhaps wondered if ‘doing the basics’ should make it to Pep’s playlist. Nine matches to go for Champions League qualification – stay tuned for more footy slapstick!
