MANCHESTER, England — There was a moment during stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium when Phil Foden Throw the ball out Bernardo Silva. With the score at 1-1, it was one last chance. Manchester City Scratch against a winner Everton. But nothing happened. Silva’s cross was rushed and flustered — words not usually associated with Pep Guardiola’s serial winners.
However, this is the new reality of the city. The spark that has struck four straight. Premier League The titles have disappeared in the last two months. A group of players who once took excellence for granted now seem to be battling a chronic lack of confidence.
Silva scored the opener against Everton but also missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0. Why did he use the outside of his boot and choose to take a first-time shot instead of taking a calm touch and passing the ball into the net? He knows. Again, it was rushed and panicked, but Silva wasn’t alone in making mistakes. Erling Holland A second-half penalty miss as City extended their miserable run to just one win from their last 13 games in all competitions.
It says everything about City’s drop-off that Everton didn’t look like they were trying to win the game for most of the game and yet should have taken it away in the end. In the final six minutes of injury time, four Everton players broke against two City defenders, resulting in a shot. Jack Harrison Blocked before reaching the goalkeeper. Stephen Ortega. It spared City further embarrassment, but the eventual draw did not stop the bells ringing around the Etihad at the final whistle.
“We played really well but we’re still in a period that happens,” Guardiola said afterwards. “We create, we recognize for the first time. [they] to reach [in the penalty area]. but yes, [we] Continue
“It’s the pace in this situation that everything takes longer to work. Football is not about winning, scoring goals and conceding, and we’ve always done that for the last month and a half. Now we’re able to do that. Not to do.”
This was considered to mark the beginning of the revival of the city. At home, Everton began a run that saw Leicester, West Ham, BrentfordFA Cup tie against Ipswich and League Two side Salford City. All of them will start as underdogs against City, but with the relative ease with which Everton handled Haaland & Co. This will instill hope that positive outcomes are possible no matter what.
The city’s aura of invincibility has been shattered and replaced by a restlessness that has infected almost everything. When Silva missed his golden chance to make it 2-0 midway through the first half, Foden — who had latched on to the pass — turned round and screamed indignantly. On the touchline, Guardiola arched his back in frustration. In the past, these minor shocks meant little. Now it feels like things are so tough that City can’t afford to waste these opportunities. Foden and Guardiola knew it too.
Jordan Pickford Holland’s 53rd-minute penalty was saved expertly, but Everton’s only other close call came from one. Josco Guardiola Header that hit the post. Holland’s penalty was their only shot on target and one of only 22 touches. It is now one goal in seven Premier League games for the double Golden Boot winner. Even the robotic Norway international looks self-doubt and when a cross is later put into the box, he opts to head it back to Foden instead of scoring himself.
Afterwards, Guardiola spoke of his players not being able to “bounce back mentally” after a penalty miss. Meanwhile, counterpart Sean Dyche admitted there was a different feel around the alliance these days.
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Luis Miguel Echegaray explains why he blames Pep Guardiola for Manchester City’s poor run after their 1-1 draw against Everton on Boxing Day.
“They’re getting a lot of questions for the first time,” said Dye, whose team took the points. weapon, Chelsea And City have said so in their last three games. “Does it give you a chance? It’s not easy to take advantage of. You know. [it’s there] Because of the noise around him.
“It’s the first round of questions, but the skill he’s shown year after year, to have a first term after all the years and trophies is very impressive, so definitely a lot of respect. I think he’s a There are going to be openings. There is, but we worked hard to make sure that doesn’t happen today.”
Guardiola can only hope that a few of the eight senior players missing against Everton return when City travel to Leicester on Sunday. Also, he is praying that the January transfer window can offer a solution to some of his problems.
He said that the winter transfer window is not easy. “Even the players know we have to add some new players. We have a lot. [of injuries] And this is a problem. Sometimes it’s not easy. We have to try because it lasts a long time.”
Getting players fit again and getting some extra bodies through the door in January will help, but the biggest issue facing Guardiola is how to rebuild the confidence of a squad that has been battered and injured by this unprecedented run. . Sheikh Mansoor’s money will fill some gaps in the dressing room. His players’ self-esteem can be hard to repair.