MANCHESTER CITY were simply magnificent at Chelsea on Saturday.
While much is being made of the attacking riches they have on display there is one man at the other end of the pitch who has become key. When keeper Joe Hart was exiled shortly after boss Pep Guardiola’s arrival, eyebrows were raised. He wasn’t good enough with his feet apparently. The problem was the bloke Pep brought in wasn’t very good with his hands.
After Willy Caballero started the first three league games, in came Claudio Bravo and what followed was a horror story. It seemed you just had to get a shot on target and Bravo would let it in. There were even ironic cheers among the City fans if he managed to actually make a save.
It is what cost City last season and the manager has had to swallow his pride and accept he made a mistake. City spent £34.9million on Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson to try and solve the problem and already it seems to have done just that.
After seven league games last season they had one clean sheet and had conceded seven goals.
At the same stage this term they have five clean sheets and have let in just two. The problem when you have a dodgy goalkeeper is it spreads uncertainty throughout your defence and there was plenty of that when Bravo was behind them. Pep’s insistence that the ball had to be played out from the back did not help. Those defenders probably just wanted to get the ball as far away from Bravo as they could.
Not so with Ederson, who also looks better as a sweeper keeper. John Stones certainly looks a lot more confident. The back four is a lot tighter now.
It is clear, particularly on Saturday against Chelsea, that Pep is willing to apply more caution to his tactics with the full-backs not bombing on as much as they had in other games. That does not mean it has been at the expense of any flair in the team. That was on show at Stamford Bridge as well and what a goal it was that decided the game. Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best players in the world right now and not many could have scored that goal. David Silva continues to work his magic.
Gabriel Jesus has proved he can play with or without Sergio Aguero, who was missing on Saturday after being involved in that car crash in Amsterdam. What on earth was he doing at a concert in Amsterdam on Thursday night when he had training back in Manchester the next day? It was his day off and you should spend it at home resting. Guardiola has not publicly criticised him but inside he must be fuming. It could seriously have cost the team but they have such strength in depth they could make up for his absence on this occasion. Their dominance of champions Chelsea, despite the narrow 1-0 scoreline, was a huge statement by City. It was also worrying for Chelsea that they could be dominated so much on their own turf.
For the life of me I could not understand why Antonio Conte did not bring on Michy Batshuayi when Alvaro Morata limped off ten minutes before the break. He had just scored a midweek winner against Atletico Madrid and his confidence must have been soaring. But Conte plumped for Willian instead with Batshuayi not being trusted until the 73rd minute. If he does not trust him enough what was going on in the summer with their recruitment? The result means there is a bit of daylight now between the two Manchester clubs and the rest. Early days I know but I can’t see anyone challenging them. Who will win it? Well I said Manchester United at the start of the season and I am not changing my mind. What a fight it promises to be though. There is only the slightest difference in their records at this stage with Jose Mourinho’s men having scored one less goal. They have a team with power and confidence and a manager not afraid to change styles — even if it means shutting up shop.
City may have tightened up at the back but Pep will never compromise his way of playing, even if the situation demands it.
That for me in the end could prove the very slight difference.
From The Sun
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