Pep Guardiola struggles, his acolytes rise
Three of the top four teams in Champions League are managed by men inspired the City boss whose side has now lost seven of their last 10 matches
Kolkata: At the start of the season, the statement would have been as ridiculous as it is now real: Sunday’s Manchester derby will about crisis management. It has been the normal state at Manchester United for years but the malaise, like bankruptcy for Ernst Hemingway, has hit Manchester City gradually and then suddenly.
The 0-2 defeat at Juventus in the Champions League was City’s seventh in 10 games. Whoever saw that coming when they lost 1-2 to Tottenham Hotspur in October. But then, Bournemouth, Sporting, Brighton and Spurs again beat them and by the time City squandered a three-goal against Feyenoord, it felt like we had seen this movie before. As it did in Turin.
It is a season to survive, Guardiola had said after the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Instead of fizz, there is fear and it has been a while since caution has replaced City’s ability to control matches. “They haven’t worked out why, all of a sudden, the chips are landing on the other side,” said Sol Campbell.
“I am not saying it is the end of an era but maybe they need to look at the whole team,” said the former Arsenal and England central defender who is here as brand ambassador for Sunday’s Tata Steel World 25k run. “The moment has come to rejuvenate the team.” But City, Campbell said, want to rebuild gradually to avoid getting into a “sticky patch” like Manchester United.
City’s problems begin at the back –Ederson could have done better in the build-up to the first goal by Dusan Vlahovic – and continue in all areas of the pitch. Guardiola spoke of missing the “last pass”, the “last action”. The manager stays sure of turning this around.
On the night of City’s struggles, Arsenal soared. They took in their stride Monaco’s threats, rode their luck with a moment of madness that led to Bukayo Saka’s second who rounded off the night with an assist for Kai Havertz. Saka has 21 goal contributions ( nine goals and 12 assists) in as many matches. Only Mo Salah (28) has more in the Premier League.
Two points separate City from Arsenal in Premier League. The gap is five in Champions League, wide enough for Arsenal to be third and City 22nd. But it is in the performance of young players that best highlight the difference between the teams who have produced riveting contests for the Premier League title in the last two seasons. This is due to the difference in confidence levels in the teams now.
Rico Lewis, 20, didn’t have a good night in Italy. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey struggled against Sporting CP. Contrast that with the assurance Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly showed in his first Champions League start. City’s injuries have been well documented but Arsenal missed five defenders against Monaco, among them left-backs Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Instead of Kieran Tierney, the club trusted 18-year-old academy product Lewis-Skelly who became the youngest player to start for Arsenal in Champions League since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2011.
In the way, he skipped past Elieese Ben Seghir to find Gabriel Jesus for the first goal, moved into midfield when Arenal were in possession and got 38 of his 40 passes correct, Lewis-Skelly showed he belonged at this level. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his “courage” and the “position he takes.”
Guardiola’s suffering has come at a time of success for coaches who have idolised him. Step forward Arteta, Vincent Kompany, Xabi Alonso, Arne Slot, Enzo Maresca and Cesc Fabregas, the last two are not in the Champions League. They want teams to have the ball but it is not about possession for possession’s sake as Morocco coach Walid Regragui had said of Spain in the 2022 World Cup. These coaches want teams to be aggressive and creative with the ball.
Kompany and Alonso has played under Guardiola, Fabregas with him. Maresca and Arteta have been on his staff. “He was the catalyst for me being able to implement and explain my own style of football,” Kompany, Bayern’s boss, has said.
Slot has not played or worked with Guardiola but was wowed by his Barcelona side. “I got the feeling that Slot watched Barcelona day and night,” Bert Kontermann, on the staff at Dutch club Zwolle where Slot played, told FourFourTwo.
About Maresca, Guardiola had said: “He will become an excellent manager. I feel it like I felt it when I saw Mikel Arteta.” In Premier League, City are fourth behind teams managed by men influenced by Guardiola. It the same for three of the first four teams in Champions League, four in the top 10 if Bayern Munich are included.
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