“Manchester City is once again playing its most football, benefiting as a bonus from a great defense.
It's pretty scary for the rest of the championship… and for Europe. ”
The former international Gary Lineker, whose word is listened to religiously across the Channel, played the ominous birds for the rest of the Premier League teams.
Manchester City are back, and the reception of the Sheffield United red lantern this Saturday (4 p.m.) sounds like a mere formality for an irresistible team for several weeks.
A new shock of extremes for Sheffield since Manchester City is in the lead for the first time this season, at the cost of a noticeable return to the foreground.
Individualities in tune
After a missed start to the season, punctuated by an anonymous 9th place in the championship on the morning of the tenth day, Pep Guardiola's players have returned to the leader's chair, with a game late.
A first since… the first day of last season.
A logical consequence of seven wins in a row in the league.
“We are getting better and better.
Our grip on the match suffers, we are much more comfortable than at the start of the season, said Pep Guardiola at the microphone of the club channel.
Some players have been ill, others injured, we had to make adjustments but I have the feeling that we have regained full possession of our means in recent matches. ”
The man in
#ManCity |
https://t.co/axa0klD5repic.twitter.com/mfxFSgv3vp
- Manchester City (@ManCity) January 27, 2021
The base of his family, reinforced by an undivided occupation and the highest ball possession in the kingdom (64.3% on average), is explained by a team more than ever turned towards the sense of the collective.
As a result, in the absence of certain executives, such as "the irreplaceable" captain Kevin De Bruyne, certain players emerge.
The latest, the German Ilkay Gundogan steals the show from Sterling and other Mahrez.
Positioned, as his favorite position wants, in the midfield in the modular 4-3-3 of Pep Guardiola, the German enjoys freedom of movement that goes hand in hand with his game intelligence. Result, a double at West Brom on Tuesday (5-0) after one goal in each of the previous two matches and an already surpassed league goal record.
After his double, his coach was full of praise for him at the microphone of the
BBC
: “I am delighted with his performance and happy with the recognition he is starting to have.
He has an incredible sense of purpose, it's innate.
It doesn't just arrive at the right minute, but at the right second.
Not to mention his qualities as a finisher. ”
For his part, Aymeric Laporte dared to compare with Ivorian midfielder Yaya Touré, a true local legend with his 79 goals and 50 decisive assists in 316 matches with the
Skyblues
.
Explain @ IlkayGuendoganpic.twitter.com / 28wsJ3DEyO
- Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) January 26, 2021
The best defense in the championship
Team player par excellence, the former Borussia Dortmund symbolizes the gift of self that has made the salt of the success of Guardiola's army in recent weeks.
“Individually, everyone makes a lot less mistakes than last season,” says the Catalan.
This year, every player is in tune for the team.
Just look at the effort made by our forwards to race back to help in defense.
This makes the work of our defensive line easier. ”
A defense at the origin of 18 unbeaten matches, a series in progress since the loss at Tottenham on November 21 (2-0).
A defense to which Ruben Dias has admirably grafted, whose considerable investment (68 million euros) is justified on the ground.
It's simple, since arriving after the rout at home against Leicester (September 2-5, 27), Manchester City have lost only one game and conceded only seven league goals.
Associated with John Stones, the former Benfica forms with the Briton a perfectly complementary pair.
"Stones and Dias do not make any stupid and irremediable mistakes, which allows us to be where we are today," said the former Barça coach.
“They have perfect chemistry on and off the pitch.
Everyone knows their role, which makes communication more fluid. ”
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A new trap set by Sheffield?
Be careful, however, of the over-revving, after 11 straight victories in all competitions.
This new iteration of David's duel against Goliath could be a new trap set by the formation of Chris Wilder, whose recent form (4 wins in 5 matches in all competitions) is imperfectly summarized by the standings.
The
Blades
do not they come to get a surprise on the lawn of another Manchester, already in a clash of extremes on Wednesday (1-2)?
If your task seems much more difficult given the form and individualities of the
Citizens
, nothing is impossible, especially in the Premier League.
In any case, a bad result will not weaken Guardiola's optimism: "We should not feel sorry for a bad result, the situation is quite surreal and strange as it is."
Read also
Premier League standings