Man City’s Persistent Predicaments…
Three games in and déjà vu strikes like a pesky mosquito for Manchester City. Despite splashing a treasure chest of £175m over the summer, the Blues have already racked up two defeats, making fans as gloomy as a rainy Manchester day. Pep Guardiola, now officially a part-time dentist, is blaming ‘teething issues’ as he attempts to fit his new players into his complex system—all of which feels like it’s still pre-season practice after their solitary friendly post-Club World Cup. Despite the struggles, Pep has cracked a smile occasionally about some bright gameplay moments, though after a less-than-sparkling 2-0 loss to Spurs and a head-scratching 2-1 to Brighton, individual flubs and getting steamrolled seem all too familiar.
Last year’s injury-related blues are back, maybe worse than your uncle’s karaoke, with City missing key players again. Injuries have been spreading like butter at Sunday brunch across their squad. With six players missing the curtain-raiser against Wolves and Phil Foden’s appearances as rare as city sunshine, the team looks waylaid. City even seemed to run out of steam against Brighton in the final stretch like sprinters who forgot their breakfast. If speedster Ruben Dias and Rico Lewis seemed a tad slow, it’s because they were tossed like salad into the game. While Savinho’s arrival could smooth some hiccups with Ederson’s exit, City needs more luck than a synchronized unicorn finding a pot of gold. To bounce back, City will aim to collect their scattered stars and conquer the game like Avengers assembling once and for all.
