Micah Richards' brutal 'passengers' comment sums up Man City problem as Liverpool take advantage
-Image Source: Sky Sports
Man City's troubling injury crisis finally took its toll this week, and it has already had a significant impact on their season.
Pep Guardiola gave several young players a chance to shine in the Carabao Cup match against Tottenham last Wednesday. He was trying to put together a makeshift team for their upcoming Premier League match against Bournemouth.
City lost 2-1 to Spurs, which dashed their hopes of securing any trophies this season. Following that loss in North London, concerns arose that they might be missing eight key players for their upcoming match against Bournemouth.
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In the end, Kyle Walker, Manu Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol were able to overcome their injury concerns and formed part of the defensive line at the Vitality Stadium.
Jeremy Doku was a surprise substitute, as many thought he wouldn't be back until after the international break. Similarly, Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne were also on the bench, even though it was believed they would need more time to recover before playing again.
Consequently, the squad chosen for the match at Bournemouth consisted of a combination of players who have been on the field quite a bit lately—more than Guardiola may have preferred—and others who haven't seen as much playing time as he would have hoped in recent weeks.
As expected, City struggled to find their rhythm for much of the game and paid the price with goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson. Although Gvardiol managed to score and reduce the deficit, it wasn’t enough to stop City from losing 2-1 on the South Coast.
Former City title winners Joe Hart and Micah Richards were the analysts on Saturday's Match of the Day, and they both believed that the loss was a consequence of their ongoing injury problems finally taking a toll.
"I've been pondering that," Hart responded when host Gary Lineker inquired whether injuries are affecting Man City right now.
I believe Pep made it very clear this week that his resources are dwindling. However, that's just the harsh reality of this league. Nobody in Bournemouth would have felt sympathy for them.
They would have definitely taken notice. Iraola would have perked up and remarked, "If we can maintain our intensity this Saturday, we stand a great chance."
Richards mentioned, "In the Premier League, you can't afford to have players who aren't contributing. It's a very demanding league, and they've clearly identified ways they can exploit vulnerabilities in the Man City defense."
At first glance, Richards' remark about 'passengers' may come across as harsh, but it reflects the harsh truth of their circumstances. Guardiola will be eager for the international break in November to regroup and recharge his team following a challenging series of matches.
Saturday's defeat allowed Liverpool to overtake City and take the lead in the Premier League standings. Additionally, this result prevented Guardiola's team from widening the gap between themselves and Arsenal, who lost 1-0 to Newcastle.
City's next match is away in Lisbon for the Champions League, followed by a challenging game against the in-form Brighton in the Premier League next weekend.
Guardiola will be aiming for City to get through those two matches without any injuries and avoid stretching their current streak of two straight losses. This way, they can set their season back on the right path and manage their injury situation effectively.
