Man City is no longer a fearsome force.

5 CONSECUTIVE LOSSES, AND… MORE!

Prior to the match against Tottenham last weekend, manager Pep Guardiola had set a "sad record": for the first time in his coaching career, he lost four consecutive matches across all competitions. The home advantage not only failed to end his losing streak, but also led him to other disastrous milestones. These included the heaviest defeat of his career (0-4, matching a previous loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League), the heaviest home defeat for Man City in 20 years, and the first time Guardiola's team had lost three consecutive Premier League matches.

Erling Haaland (right) of Man. City was completely neutralized by the Tottenham defense.

Right now, 87% of those surveyed by the BBC believe that Manchester City cannot defend their Premier League title. The problem isn't just the five consecutive defeats. In all five of those losses, the way Manchester City played showed they deserved to lose. Considering the way the games unfolded, none of Manchester City's five consecutive defeats were surprising.

Having missed 23 shots on goal (in the 0-4 defeat to Tottenham) confirms a long-discussed situation: Erling Haaland of Man City is the striker with the most missed chances in the Premier League this season. Missed chances, or is he simply not as high-class as his incredible performances in the first few games of the season suggest? The "monster" Haaland's level – whether being dragged down or already so – is only average. Man City currently scores fewer goals than Tottenham and Chelsea, and is only level with… Brentford.

As for defense, only seven teams in the entire league have conceded more goals than Man. City. Aston Villa is the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more than Guardiola's side. After the defeat to Tottenham, Guardiola said that Man. City are "a bit fragile" these days. That's just the way he phrased it. Former Man. City player Micah Richards said bluntly: "Man. City are really bad." Gary Neville: "Playing against Man. City is too easy." Alan Shearer: "There are a host of problems, from defense to attack."

When you meet Man City, seize the opportunity to launch a quick attack.

When Bournemouth boldly attacked and beat Man City, Brighton immediately gained confidence: they could do it too. And Brighton won as well. Playing against Man City during this period, anyone has a chance to win. Tottenham, being at a higher level, won more convincingly. In two-thirds of Man City's home games this season, the away team scored first. This is a dangerous detail, making it very difficult for Man City to escape their crisis. Their weaknesses have become very clear. Coach Guardiola has been unable to fix them, even with the two-week break in club competition due to FIFA Days. This is a systemic weakness that opponents easily exploit, and are eager to exploit.

The void left by Rodri (out for the rest of the season due to injury) has not been filled. Man City are struggling to cope with counter-attacks or quick counter-attacks from opponents, due to their current squad being the oldest in the league, slow pace, and lacking a midfield leader. The frequency of Man City conceding shots after such plays this season has doubled compared to the previous peak (2022-2023 season), and is five times higher than the average under Guardiola. Four of Tottenham's five second-half scoring opportunities came from plays in this statistic, including the two goals scored by Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson.

On the one hand, Man City frequently concedes goals when opponents counter-attack or launch quick attacks. On the other hand, Man City's defense is now less reliable in dealing with regular shots on goal. The "expected goals conceded" per shot Man City faces this season has increased by 1.5 times compared to last season.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mancity-khong-con-dang-so-185241124204028286.htm