Injury storm at Etihad

(NLĐO) - The draw against Chelsea at Etihad has put Man City in a difficult position in the Premier League title race.

In the 20th round of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola's team hosted Chelsea at home. It was thought that "The Citizens" would easily secure all three points against an opponent currently experiencing many difficulties. However, a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium prevented Man City from closing the gap with league leaders Arsenal.

Man City dropped points at the Etihad Stadium, drawing with Chelsea.

This was Manchester City's second consecutive draw, and also marked the first time "The Citizens" have failed to win two consecutive Premier League matches since mid-August. Currently, the gap between Pep Guardiola's team and Arsenal at the top of the table is 6 points.

Dropping points against Sunderland and Chelsea wasn't just a disastrous slip-up in the title race. It clearly exposed the "storm" of injuries sweeping through one of the squads once considered to have the greatest depth in Europe.

In the clash against "The Blues," Man City took the lead, controlled the game, and created chances, but collapsed in injury time, precisely when their defense was severely depleted. Key central defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias both left the field in the second half due to injuries.

Ruben Dias had to leave the court due to injury early in the second half.

On the bench, Pep Guardiola was left with only young faces from the academy, a rare sight in a team accustomed to perfect personnel rotation. After losing both Gvardiol and Dias, Man City's makeshift defense allowed Enzo Fernandez to score the equalizer for "The Blues" in the 90+4th minute.

"The Citizens" are currently without John Stones, who has only started one Premier League game since August. Meanwhile, Nathan Aké is unavailable due to fitness issues, Mateo Kovacic is out long-term, and Oscar Bobb, Nico Gonzalez, and Savinho are all sidelined with injuries. Even with Rodri's recent return, defensive stability continues to be severely shaken.

Given the packed schedule at the start of the new year, which is typically a "gold mine for points" for Pep Guardiola's team, dropping 4 points in just a few days has left Man City struggling to keep pace with Arsenal in the league table.

More worryingly, in attack, Erling Haaland has gone three consecutive games without scoring, while Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki have been underperforming. With the defense short of players, the resulting pressure further disrupts the smooth functioning of the entire team.

Rodri's return wouldn't improve the situation either.

In a season where Arsenal are more stable and clinical than ever, the injury crisis could be the harshest test for Man City, especially during this demanding period of competition.

In the 21st round of the Premier League, Man City will host Brighton on the morning of January 8th. Pep Guardiola's team will need a win to close the gap with Arsenal and avoid falling further behind.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/con-bao-chan-thuong-tai-etihad-19626010512410906.htm