Manchester City defender Rúben Dias defiant in the face of difficult December period
English December looms for Dias and City
Manchester City youngster Rúben Dias claims both he and the club are prepared to tackle the difficult December schedule that so often can make or break a Premier League season.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: Ruben Dias of Manchester City celebrates with teammate John Stones after scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on February 27, 2021 in Manchester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
When speaking with Amazon Prime Video Sport, the 24-year-old Portuguese international showed no signs of concern as City are set to embark on an eight-match trek from now until the 29th of the moment where they will face the toughest period on any calendar in Europe’s domestic leagues;
“Yeah [we’re ready]. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the wins. We love that. That’s what we’re here for.”
The difficult run for the current holders features key clashes against Leicester City and a tricky Brentford as well as a Champions League date with Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig in Saxony. Despite Pep Guardiola’s men being guaranteed to top Group A, City could inflict potentially mortal wounds on the American manager if they were to beat the Bundesliga outfit at Red Bull Arena in conjunction with Belgian outfit Club Brugge picking up at least a point against Paris Saint-Germain, who is also guaranteed to compete in the knockout stage as locked-in runner up in the group.
City must also face Watford, Wolves, Leeds United, and Newcastle United during the congested end of the calendar year before they announce 2022 with a potentially tasty encounter with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the Emirates on New Year’s Day.
Guardiola’s troops outlast Steven Gerrard’s revitalized Aston Villa
Manchester City kicked off the December fixture list with a 2-1 away win against Aston Villa at Villa Park, putting an end to Steven Gerrard’s inspired start at his new employers after the Villains secured 6-points in the former Liverpool midfielder’s first two matches in charge.
WHAT A FINISH 🔥
Bernardo Silva hammers a volley home to double Man City’s lead!#PLonPrime #AVLMCI pic.twitter.com/tyhTiJGQQP
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 1, 2021
First-half goals from the aforementioned Rúben Dias and a superb strike from key midfielder Bernardo Silva were enough to secure all three points for the current Premier League holders, but England international Ollie Watkins drew one back for the home side – his 2nd goal in three appearances under Gerrard – to make things interesting up until the final whistle.
The result saw City remain second and just one point behind table-topping Chelsea, who also netted an away win by the same scoreline when they overcame Watford at Vicarage Road. But Pep will continue to look over his shoulder as Liverpool ran out 4-1 winners in the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, keeping pressure applied on the Etihad outfit as the three-horse race for top spot continues to grab headlines this season.
This article was edited by
Ben Browning.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Chelsea FC | 13 | 26 | 30 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 13 | 20 | 29 |
| 3 | Liverpool FC | 13 | 28 | 28 |
| 4 | West Ham United | 13 | 8 | 23 |
| 5 | Arsenal FC | 13 | -2 | 23 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | -6 | 19 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 13 | -1 | 18 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 13 | -2 | 18 |
| 10 | Leicester City | 13 | -3 | 18 |
| 11 | Brentford FC | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 14 | -1 | 16 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 13 | -3 | 16 |
| 14 | Everton FC | 13 | -4 | 15 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 14 | -7 | 15 |
| 16 | Southampton FC | 13 | -7 | 14 |
| 17 | Watford FC | 13 | -6 | 13 |
| 18 | Norwich City | 14 | -20 | 10 |
| 19 | Burnley FC | 12 | -6 | 9 |
| 20 | Newcastle United | 14 | -14 | 7 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 9 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 7 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 6 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 6 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 5 |
| Silva, Bernardo | Manchester City | 5 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 5 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United | 5 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 |
| Cornet, Maxwel | Burnley FC | 5 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 5 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 4 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 4 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 4 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 6 |
| Laporte, Aymeric | Manchester City | 1 | 5 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 4 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 0 | 5 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 5 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 5 |
| Lascelles, Jamaal | Newcastle United | 0 | 5 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 5 |
| Ward, Joel | Crystal Palace | 0 | 5 |
| Skipp, Oliver | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 5 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 0 | 3 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 4 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 4 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United | 0 | 4 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 4 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa | 0 | 4 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 4 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 0 | 4 |
| Canos, Sergi | Brentford FC | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 8 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 7 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 6 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 5 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 4 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 4 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 4 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 3 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Henderson, Jordan | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Lowton, Matthew | Burnley FC | 3 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 3 |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 3 |
