Sport
Neville: City worst I’ve seen since Pep’s first season after 5 loses in a row
Gary Neville delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester City's terrible form, calling them as bad as he has seen them since Pep Guardiola's first season in charge.
The Premier League title holders extended Guardiola's worst ever losing streak to five games with a 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham – which was also their biggest home league defeat in his eight-year tenure.
With that defeat leaving them five points off the top of the table, possibly eight after Liverpool's Super Sunday win over Southampton, Neville compared City's demise to the side finishing 15 points behind the top in Guardiola's first season in charge was in charge – the only year they were in charge. have finished outside the top two during his tenure.
“We've seen City lose the odd game here but we've rarely seen them outplayed in every department, but that's what we're looking at,” he said.
“They look very short. As short as I've seen them since Pep's first season. I haven't seen them as bad as this, as they have been in recent weeks.”
City come into Saturday's match having been beaten 2-1 at Brighton and 4-1 at Sporting in the last two matches before the November internationals. Their return to national football after a two-week break failed to stop their losing streak.
“He must have wanted that international breakthrough to come, thinking it would be a reset moment,” Neville said. “But now that it's here it further entrenches the view that this is a City side that is currently in decline.
“It seems crazy when you think about what they have achieved. They are easy to play against and teams are encouraged when they play against them. The vulnerabilities are plain for all to see.”
In mitigation, City have been hit hard by injuries this season, with talisman Rodri sidelined due to a long-term knee injury.
But as the whistle blew for a shocked Etihad, Marcel sharply warned: “This is more than just Rodri, much more.”
In 106 games since February 2023, Man City's defeat ratio when Rodri was in the team is just 2.6 percent. In the event of absence, the percentage increases to 36.
'Walker is having a hard time – this is not just Rodri'
City's woes were summed up by the manner of their dismal defending for Tottenham's late fourth, when Timo Werner flew past Kyle Walker down the flank before crossing low for Brennan Johnson to tap in from yards out.
With Walker's patchy form this season and his difficulties at the 2024 Euros, where he was partly responsible for Spain's opening match in the final, Neville said the 34-year-old is “struggling” to be anywhere near his best to take shape.
“Good heavens, merciful,” he said. “You don't see that often, but we have seen it a few times in the last few weeks.
“Vinicius Junior, Mbappe, he's handled them all, Walker, but he's struggling at the moment.”
Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, Jamie Redknapp agreed, pointing out a number of other issues within the City camp.
“You got it [Mateo] Kovacic, Ruben Dias, the leader of the men at the back,” he said, pointing to the hosts' absences. “Kevin De Bruyne is in and out of the team. To lose [Julian] Alvarez is a huge punch if you can use him.
“They're off, they're short. It doesn't quite click; [Ilkay] Gundogan couldn't get close to anyone, the focus and balance weren't good with Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva and they didn't have enough energy to get around them.
“When Tottenham scored, the confidence came. James Maddison started to get the ball. You could see his tail was up, that's the kind of player he is.”
“The fact that you can't score a goal against the two centre-backs of Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin, that's the biggest concern: they didn't have that clinical advantage.”
'Winning the league would be Pep's greatest achievement'
With unwanted records falling for City and Guardiola, both of whom have been used to making history for more positive reasons during his eight-year tenure, Neville identified where things have gone wrong at the club this season.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, Neville said winning the Premier League would be Guardiola's biggest achievement this season. Defeat against Liverpool next weekend, live on Sky Sports, would potentially leave them eleven points off the top.
“When you're in decline – and I don't like to use the word decay, but it feels like it – it's a group of players with some things [going wrong].
“The idea of growing old together, the idea of the amount of games you play together, the physical and mental demands that that brings, and the third thing is how often you can continue.
“I played for a manager and a club that were going through, but there were times when you just fell over. You've won the league three times by bounce, twice, you've done doubles, you've won treble, and you just can't further.
“Your shoulders just kind of slump, and it seems like that's the kind of thing that happened here.
“They are a group of players who have run a million miles. They have been sensational. But they have become a bit drunk. Long-legged, without energy, they have lost players and some crucial ones to injury.
“It's a big game next week, Liverpool against City, and there's only a few points in it, there's still a long way to go, but it feels like if Man City were to win the title this season, I think it would are.” Pep's biggest Premier League.”
