Manchester City were unrecognisable – derby defeat was a malfunction of Guardiola’s winning machine
We have not been here often with this Manchester City team but we have been here nevertheless. It was last August in Lisbon when Pep Guardiola’s side faced Lyon in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
It was a one-off game on neutral territory because of the Covid-19 pandemic and City flunked it so badly that the 3-1 defeat they suffered on the night was not remotely misrepresentative of the way the game had gone.
Guardiola, the City manager, looked a little shattered afterwards. It takes a lot to puncture Guardiola’s self-belief but the armour took some damage that night in Portugal and it has taken some time and some football to properly move on.
The derby defeat came at a bad time for Pep Guardiola (pictured) and Manchester City
So this defeat by Manchester United — particularly in its meekness — feels badly timed. City had won their previous 21 games. Their football in recent weeks has been imperious. But this was a malfunction of the machine startlingly similar to the one suffered against Lyon. It was a reminder of what can happen.
This season’s Champions League is up and running again after its winter break. City are midway through a two-leg tie against Borussia Monchengladbach and have a two-goal lead. They are as good as in the last eight already.
Beyond that, though, Guardiola will know that tougher opponents await but so do opportunities. Barcelona — much diminished these days — are on their way out. Liverpool are all over the place.
Sunday’s opponents are already out. So a route to their first Champions League could become available. They need to avoid catastrophe. They need to avoid a day like this.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne struggled to impose himself on the game
As well as United played, City were not recognisable. Kevin De Bruyne did not find a sky blue shirt with a pass for the first 20 minutes. Raheem Sterling played as though somebody had moved the goals.
Gabriel Jesus once again reminded us that he is not the heir apparent to Sergio Aguero. As City chased the game — nominally at least — Aguero himself was not invited to leave the substitutes’ bench.
The margins were fine. They usually are when City lose. Without their early penalty, United would have had nothing to hang on to. City came close to an equaliser several times, hitting the bar just a moment or two before United broke to score the decisive second.
But having said that, City had none of the conviction required to plot a way back into the game. Too much of their play seemed chaotic and instinctive. Where was the game plan? What was it? Was there one?
Back on that night in Lisbon last summer, Guardiola did not help himself with his team selection and formation. Here in Manchester, his substitutions lacked urgency and, strangely, courage. With 25 minutes left, he replaced one full back — the out-of-sorts Joao Cancelo — with another, Kyle Walker.
Five minutes later, Phil Foden replaced Jesus. Aguero remained seated as did Bernardo Silva. If Guardiola was not going to deploy his match-winners when he really needed them then he might as well have asked them to stay at home.
Raheem Sterling failed to take advantage of his chances against Manchester United
Jesus conceded a penalty in the first minute and things did not improve much after that. The Brazilian is a trier and will have better afternoons but he will only ever bring this team so much. He is only 23 years old but is approaching the end of his fifth season at the club.
He was bought as the replacement for Aguero but will not be if as expected the Argentine leaves this summer. This was one of those days when City’s need for a new centre forward was clear.
Guardiola has assembled and drilled such an intelligent group of footballers that they have shown themselves able to thrive and prosper in the absence of a prolific No 9. City’s top scorer this season is the midfielder Ilkay Gundogan with 11.
That is extraordinary for a side who have been threatening to turn the Premier League title contest into a procession and something that Guardiola knows he cannot afford to take into next season.
Sometimes you just need your centre forward don’t you? Sometimes you need that focus, someone to drive you forward straight through the middle. There was a moment midway through the second half — during a period when a goal for the home team would have lit a fire under the whole game — when Jesus was played through down the right.
He was not clear on goal, he had company in red. But the chance to take a touch and get a shot away was definitely there. It was a moment for someone like Aguero at his peak or Harry Kane. Jesus never did get that shot away and that fire remained unlit.
Striker Sergio Aguero himself was not invited to leave the substitutes’ bench on Sunday
So City continued trying to build a way round and through. They sought to make small spaces bigger. They are good at it but here the chances — two to Sterling late on for example — were not taken. United goalkeeper Dean Henderson played well but did not make an outstanding save.
United deserved their victory. It will be interesting to see if they build on it. They were good enough here to make you wonder why they are not better more often.
City will win the league and deserve it. Europe will present a sterner challenge.
