Something has undoubtedly changed in Manchester City in the two years since the Treble, to the extent that both players and supporters beg to end this season.
Nine games to finish the misery. No Pep Guardiola team has ever admitted this number of goals in a Premier League season after the two in the form of Brighton brought the count to 40. Opponents have hunted vulnerabilities; The attackers also cannot perform last balls with sufficient regularity.
But more than that is this strange slowness that sweeps around the Etihad Stadium. A stadium with empty seats in almost every block 24 hours before what was a huge game in the hunt for Champions League qualification. Some went for £ 70.
It is not only a price problem and it is not just a problem with a fanaPathy, but there are forces that work against each other to make afternoons like these very tests indeed. The Etihad was flat for most of the day – shortly in some places – when the city needed something behind it. Similarly, the crowd needs something to find out.
Another shoulder pick up of a result, one that could have been better, but could have been much worse, with the city still in fifth place – the top table in Europe still in their grip. It is worth pointing out that various top clubs are much more difficult if they struggle, but this just misses a goal.
It started well enough. Erling Haaland made more history in sending Bart Verbruggen on the 11th minute in the 11th minute and became the fastest man for 100 Premier League goals and assists. He has reached that milestone in 94 games, six less than Alan Shearer, and had to wait two full minutes between Simon Hooper who blows Blower on Adam Webster to chop Savinho. Ruben Dias held the ball in front of Haaland and protected the place of Brighton players.
However, City could not protect their lead, which only lasted 10 minutes. Nico Gonzalez had contaminated about 25 meters from the goal, pervis Estupinan sent the free kick to Stefan Ortega's right hand post. Ortega both gambled from his left foot and then suspected that the effort was wide, wandering over casual, just to sound it from the frame and in.
Raversak again, the only way Guardiola looks at his team that nowadays gives goals. Most of them avoid, advantages thrown aside. Kaoru Mitoma had previously seen a goal that he had polluted Ortega at the end of a light -hearted – and easy – movement resulting from the refusal of Savinho to follow the urgent of Omar Marmoush in the third of visitors of the visitors.
Marmoush played as someone who is angry with his environment, the people around him tired of him, an attitude of he will do this himself. The thumping strike, which kissed the pole, to give City a lead six minutes before the break spoke. Just like the opener, the pressure of Gonzalez in midfield turned out to be the key, Ilkay Gundogan shouted to the Egyptian, who well in it without looking back. He tried to celebrate the crowd semi-aggressive.
Savinho had rejected two golden chances on this point, with more question marks around his end product, and a Gundogan volley dripped wild with a touch of sorrow. Yanbuka Minth and Joao Pedro blocked considerable opportunities that they were presented by tired defense. Josko Gvardiol actually played Pedro for the second.
Fabian Hurzeler, in animated disagreement with Guardiola on the Touchline, had perfectly drilled Brighton to exploit the shortcomings of the city, but had also seen a few too many opportunities. The way in which the young German and pointed pointed, suggested that he knew that the points were there to grab and three minutes in the second half they were again level.
Level again after the hospitality of their hosts. Abdukodir Khusanov was slow in coming out of a corner, which means that the header of Adam Webster spinted Jack Hinshelwood to shoot, who saw the Uzbeek and wrong Voets Ortega. It dripped with the same sorrow, the same slow-motion tragedy so much of this season.
The header of Gonzalez still hit a post – City still creates enough – before the threat had almost hit the other way. Hinshelwood hit the side that he suddenly had to hold Brighton.
Carlos Baleba, someone who scouted the city, ran up 70 meters to keep a counterattack. Walked perfectly to the center of Pedro. The goal of Ortega and the shot balloon raised.
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