Box-To-Box 8: Manchester City Thoughts from Napoli & West Brom
By Tim Crean
3. The Good, the Bad & the Otamendi
Nicholas Otamendi showed all his colors this week. From the ridiculous to the sublime. He struggled mightily against West Brom, taking a rash foul in his own end that gave WBA a late free kick chance. Later, he casually chested an opposition cross right into the path of an attacker that allowed West Brom to pull within a goal in stoppage time.
He even received the lone City yellow card vs. Napoli for a stupid, dangerous challenge late in the game. Other than that though, he was extremely good against the Italian side yesterday. He was solid defensively, clever on the ball and even scored a beautiful, powerful header.
This is the duality of Otamendi. He’s developed a great partnership with John Stones this year and is no small part of why City is playing so well. On the other hand, his antics still show up all the time and I’m just waiting until they cost City a big game. Until then I recommend doing what I do… cross your fingers, hold your breath and take a big sigh of relief when he makes a huge play.