Serious questions need to be asked of this Manchester City side | OneFootball

Manchester City capitulated late in today’s Manchester derby to fall to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the Etihad today. The result makes it 1 win in 11 games for Pep Guardiola’s side. That is a poor run by any definition. But it’s now at a point where serious questions need to be asked of this City side. Their slide has gone from a blip to something much more alarming. It now leaves more questions than answers after today’s devastating result.

The first question is how did that happen? Yes, Manchester United deserve credit for their fightback. But in truth, City’s second-half performance was that of a team afraid to make an error. Manchester City were timid in the second half, and you had the impression that Pep Guardiola’s side was one error away from falling apart. That’s exactly what transpired. Two massive errors from Matheus Nunes, who had played well at left-back until that point, gave United a way back into the game. From there they seized their moment.

But why do these errors keep happening? That’s the question. It now seems to be a mental issue that is plaguing the world champions. Today’s collapse mirrored the one Manchester City had against Feyenoord only a few weeks ago, where they threw away a three-goal lead. Although this one is worse as it happened in the derby against their arch-rivals. That’s what hurts the most about today’s collapse. But it leaves more questions than answers, and serious questions need to be asked of Pep Guardiola’s side.

It can’t just be injuries that are to blame for Manchester City’s poor run, and Pep Guardiola and his team need to find answers quickly.

Each week we are reminded of Manchester City’s injury crisis. Yes, it’s a factor in City’s poor run. Players are playing tired and some through injury. But that can’t be used as an excuse for capitulations like the one we saw today. It’s time that was put to bed and the real cause of City’s issues are discovered. It is apparent that there is a mental fragility to this team at the moment. After seeing this team win so many titles under trying circumstances that is a statement you wouldn’t have dreamed of writing. But it is clear to see when you see events like what unfolded at the Etihad today happen.

Bernardo Silva tells it like it is.

Speaking after his team’s heartbreaking derby defeat, Bernardo Silva explained that what unfolded wasn’t good enough. Speaking with Sky Sports he said: “It’s not about one player or two, when it happens in 10 games it’s about us collectively, but obviously each one of us individually look at ourselves and see what we can do better. But there needs to be communication at that minute, at that level of the game, there needs to be communication for us to play short, or to try to keep the ball in the corner or something, or at least if the ball ends up to one of our midfielders, you just put the ball again into one of the corners. It’s not just that pass from Matheus [Nunes] to the keeper, it’s everything from the corner, how the ball ends up from Ruben [Dias], then Kyle [Walker, to Matheus, then everyone under pressure that you have to play to the keeper. It just cannot happen!”

Summary

Serious questions need to be asked of this Manchester City team. What unfolded today isn’t acceptable but it has followed a familiar pattern of late. One win in eleven games is past the point of a blip. It is a serious concern by any stretch. The sooner the serious questions are asked and the answers found only then will the world champions will find their way out of their current malaise. That’s the point we have gotten to and it was clear to see come the final whistle at the Etihad today.