This is not the old City, the City of recent times: in these new times, Guardiola’s team must struggle day by day, whether at home or when playing away, because it does not look like the magnificent playing team of other years, that group that at times was overdone, arrogant and proud.
Now, sometimes, the City Madrid: He plays regularly, but he is adding points.
This Sunday’s match has shown us this, their trip to Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium, a supposedly simple clash for City that has not been so simple: a contender for the Premier title visited a clear contender for relegation. Instead of a storm of goals, there has been a storm of doubts. It had to be a header from John Stones, after a long stoppage time (95), who resolved the outcome for Manchester City (1-2).
They limp citizensdisconcerted by Haaland’s lack of appetite, the forced absences of the injured Rodri and De Bruyne and the uncertain future of Pep Guardiola, now that Txiki Begiristain has left sports management.
Too many worries and too tiqui-taca are practiced by City, absolute possession of the ball in the Wolverhampton stadium (78%) but inefficient in the offensive facet.
Once again they have been behind on the scoreboard – and they are five in their last seven games -, a fact that exposes their defensive line. They have conceded nine goals in eight league games, an outrage compared to other times, and yet City is still there, tightening the screws on Liverpool, the leader who is not intimidated.
If Liverpool is not scared, they are doing so by taking refuge in the talent of Mo Salah.
Mo Salah celebrates his penalty goal, this Sunday against Chelsea
The courses pass and the left-footed Egyptian (32 years old) continues to be a guarantee for Liverpool (162 goals total for the Reds in the Premier, ninth in the history of the league) and a torment for rival wingers. Every time Salah starts, sharp passes emerge from the outside and Darwin Núñez, Gakpo and Curtis Jones cut in.
When they go on the counterattack, Liverpool play from memory, and in one of them Jones has received in the area before being knocked down. Without hesitation, Salah took the penalty (29).
With 1-0 down, Chelsea has stretched, a legend that has come to nothing and is striving to reach a place in the next Champions League, not for the Premier title, because that suit is too big for them.
Still, fight.
The result of their fight was Jackson’s equalizer right after the restart, an immediate interruption as Salah reappeared again, another pass into the dead zone for Curtis Jones (52) to also re-emerge.
Scorer
Mo Salah, with 162 goals, is already ninth in the history of the Premier, in a table led by Alan Shearer, with 260
From there, Liverpool fly (2-1 final), remains one point above City in a league fight that seems like two: Arsenal (unfortunately defeated in Bournemouth, 2-0), Aston Villa and Brighton are They don’t arrive.
And United?
They survive in the middle of the table, eleventh despite their victory on Saturday against Brentford (2-1). United is the sadness of a great man who lost his stripes on a bad day, never to get them back. How many illustrious people suffer in this very modern Premier, inconsiderate of the aristocrats.
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