Manchester City’s perfect start to the Premier League season is over, and the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa has exposed the defensive problems manager Enzo Maresca can no longer paper over. Nicolas Jackson’s double at Villa Park ended City’s run of seven straight wins — and underlined worrying form for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and defender Marc Guehi.
Manchester City (Credits: BBC Sport)
City have now managed only one clean sheet in their past six games, with their most recent shutout coming in the impressive win at Liverpool two weeks ago. Around that result, they have conceded against everyone from Champions League holders Paris St-Germain to top-flight strugglers Sunderland. The numbers since then are stark: nine goals conceded in their past four matches, after just eight in their first nine games of the season.
Man City’s Leaky Defence: Donnarumma and Guehi Under Scrutiny
Donnarumma could do little about Jackson’s thumping finish for Villa’s opening goal, but the second goal was another story. A low shot appeared to squirm under the Italy captain, and former City defender Steph Houghton said on BBC Radio 5 Live that Donnarumma could probably have done a little better — while crediting Villa’s spot-on gameplan.
The goalkeeper’s distribution has also drawn scrutiny. Donnarumma struggles with the ball at his feet compared with predecessor Ederson, and on Saturday captain Ruben Dias was seen gesturing for him to send the ball up the pitch after a difficult pass. The contrast with James Trafford, sold to Leeds for £45m in the summer, is uncomfortable: Trafford has made more passes this season, has a slightly better rate at preventing goals, and has come out to sweep 11 times compared with Donnarumma’s one.
Guehi, meanwhile, has endured a difficult spell of his own. The England defender, whose £20m arrival from Crystal Palace in January was hailed as a bargain, was picked off by John McGinn deep in his own half for Villa’s first goal, and was culpable for both goals Ipswich scored against City last weekend.
Maresca Admits Both Villa Goals Were Avoidable
Maresca did not hide from the problem after the match. Asked if the two goals were avoidable, he told TNT Sports: “Absolutely, both. Sometimes you have to be a bit more lucky because we only conceded those two chances, but we created a lot of chances. We played most of the game in their box but you have to be clinical and avoid mistakes like the two goals we conceded.”
It is still early in the campaign, and City are guaranteed to be in the top two come the end of the weekend. But as Sir Alex Ferguson once said, attack wins you games and defence wins you titles — and right now, City’s defence is not winning them anything.
Also Read: Nicolas Jackson Scores Twice as Aston Villa End Man City’s Perfect Premier League Start
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.