De Bruyne’s fading fitness levels
Kevin de Bruyne had to wait until the 74th minute to be introduced against Tottenham, by which point the outcome had become a foregone conclusion. During the run of five consecutive defeats which has thrown Manchester City’s season into disarray, he has only been able to play a total of 38 minutes.
His lack of fitness, as he struggles to fully recover from a hamstring injury suffered in September, is a major headache for Pep Guardiola. City were able to cope without him for much of last season but it’s a different story with Rodri also absent from their midfield.
De Bruyne has not started a game since City’s Champions League opener against Inter two months ago. At 33, with more than 700 games under his belt for club and country, the workload is catching up with him in the form of repeated hamstring problems.
Guardiola will hope to have him available to start games soon. But, as with his cameo against Spurs, the worry is that it might come too late. The last two seasons show his body can no longer be relied on.
Nick Wright
Gundogan isn’t up to speed
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It looked like the bargain signing of the summer. Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer. The five-time Premier League champion and treble-winning captain Guardiola didn’t want to see leave the club in 2023.
What do they say about never going back? After all the warm sentiment and good feeling of Gundogan’s return from Barcelona, the harsh reality is that – so far – the midfielder has looked a shadow of the player he was first time round in Manchester.
Overwhelmed in midfield by energetic Tottenham on Saturday, Gundogan was chasing shadows, most notably for the opening goal when he lost James Maddison. “Gundogan couldn’t get around the pitch today,” said Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp in analysis.
The touch and technique remain – Gundogan saw more of the ball than any other player and his passing accuracy percentage is well into the 90s. But can he still match the intensity demands of the Premier League?
Peter Smith
What’s happened to Grealish?
Jack Grealish is another who has been hampered by injury issues. His substitute appearance at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday was his first of any kind since the 2-1 win over Wolves in October.
He has of course played a part in a succession of trophy wins since his £100m arrival from Aston Villa but, on an individual level, his output has been modest, to put it kindly, with only 11 goals and 12 assists in 82 Premier League games across the last four seasons.
Jack Grealish had a better record at Aston Villa than he does at Man City
It is a lower combined total than he managed in his final season and a half at Villa – and that period included a three-month injury lay-off.
Amazingly, he hasn’t found the net for Manchester City, in any competition, since a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last December.
Grealish has had to recalibrate his game under Guardiola. He is less of a maverick, more of a system player. It has come at the cost of goals and assists and that’s a problem at a time when so many others, Erling Haaland included, are struggling to produce.
Nick Wright
Walker’s defending under scrutiny
When you launch a podcast called: ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’ it is a pretty clear indication that one-on-one defending is considered a strength. But at the age of 34, Walker’s ability to handle those situations is finally coming under some scrutiny.
