Since some poor performances in the 2016/17, Manchester City have largely thrived under the management of Pep Guardiola.
Last season a couple of defeats for Manchester City – against Crystal Palace and Newcastle threatened to derail our season, but seemed to shock the team into the unstoppable run which secured the title. The best we can hope for after a lacklustre City display against Norwich today is that the defeat has the same galvanising effect.
Last season’s defeats were powered by a sense of injustice too, as poor decisions conspired against us. There was no such factor at play at Norwich. Here City were well and truly beaten – unusually out thought and beaten by a side who looked more intense and focussed.
City started with what looked to be a team more than capable of beating Norwich. De Bruyne was left on the bench – but given his recent exertions, his injury record and the season ahead – all of that was understandable. Gundogan started instead and Bernardo was preferred to Mahrez on the right. Otherwise the side was largely as expected – with John Stones partnering Otamendi in central defence.
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Yet the performance from the off looked strangely lethargic and disjointed. There was no rhythm to our play, the tempo was all wrong, much to slow and rather than our usual free flowing intent, all of the possession looked laboured.
Some credit must be given to Norwich because they stuck to their tasks very well, but not that well. The main issue appeared to be the complacent way City were approaching the match.
Norwich scored first from a near post corner and were 2:0 up within half an hour following some poor defensive work by City. Rodri failed to clear his area and the defence was woefully exposed as a result and a simple one-two pass led to a tap in.
Aguero pulled a goal back just before the break with a well placed header from a cross by Sterling, but the expected lift this should have given City just evaporated. Instead City were left strangely unaffected by the position they were in.
Within 5 minutes of the restart Norwich had a third goal and the game was effectively over. Another defensive lapse saw Otamendi gift possession and left Pukki one on one with Ederson. In his current run of form he was unlikely to miss.
City pulled a goal back in the 88th minute with a low strike from Rodri but this was too little too late. Snatched attempts followed but our general lack of cutting edge left us with little threat.
Quite why the players did not respond after the half time team talk may be the focus of much of the fan’s concerns. This was a winnable game which we ceded limply and our team looked a shadow of the fourmidables of last season. Thankfully at this point, games come thick and fast and City will have a chance to right this display in just a few days.