Today, City's football came to an end. How much despair in Guardiola's gaze!
Pep's team has only one win in 12 matches. Now they've lost to Aston Villa.
City has been in such a deep crisis (one win in 11 games) that it no longer seemed complicated to shock anyone. Yet, Guardiola's side still managed to surprise. Aston Villa had two great chances within the first two minutes.
First, Joško Gvardiol lost possession, gifting John Duran a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Still, Stefan Ortega managed to deflect the striker’s shot for a corner. From that corner, Villa came agonizingly close to scoring; City was saved by mere centimeters when their goalkeeper knocked the ball onto the crossbar.
Villa’s goal in the 16th minute felt inevitable. Guardiola's team hadn’t created anything close to the chances Villa had. Duran again found himself one-on-one with Ortega, but he converted from close range this time. Immediately after, the camera focused on City's head coach in a close-up. It was painful to watch.
The first half largely revolved around the duel between Jack Grealish and Matty Cash on the flank. Villa's right-back repeatedly fouled the England international. By the 15th minute, Grealish had already lost his temper and complained to the referee. Cash finally received a yellow card in the 37th minute after another foul on Grealish. The infringement wasn’t particularly harsh; it culminated with repeated fouls.
Despite tight marking, Grealish managed to get off a few dangerous shots and even set up an excellent chance for Gvardiol, who headed over the bar. The first half ended with another clash between Grealish and Cash. Right after the whistle, Grealish ran to the referee to argue, only to be confronted by Villa's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who tried to provoke him into a yellow card. However, it was Martinez who ended up being booked.
The second half began with a substitution: Kyle Walker replaced John Stones. It’s unclear if this was tactical or due to another injury for Stones. If it’s the latter, the situation looks bleak, especially since another center-back, Manuel Akanji, also went down clutching his shoulder. After receiving medical attention, Akanji managed to continue playing.
As for the game, Villa maintained their bold approach in the second half. While City failed to create real danger, Cash first shot from close range, and then Morgan Rogers hit the near post. In the 65th minute, Rogers finally found the net with a powerful strike from 13 yards. 2–0. Deservedly so. It felt like City had run out of football. It’s hard to find new explanations.
With a two-goal lead, Villa saw the game through to victory, even conceding in the 90+3rd minute. Phil Foden scored his first league goal of the season, but there wasn’t enough time for City to do more. And rightly so, as the visitors didn’t deserve a draw. Tellingly, City had less possession in the second half, even though they needed to chase the game. As a result, Guardiola’s team dropped to sixth place and risks falling even further by the end of the round.
Published by Patrick Jane
21.12.2024