Man City transformed in 12 months
When Manchester City last travelled to West Brom in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola was under pressure. It was almost exactly a year ago, the 10th game of 2016-17 as it is in 2017-18, and the away side were in a slump.
Expectations had been high, following a run of 10 straight wins in all competitions at the beginning of the season, and it meant fans were brought crashing back to reality with a spell of six games without victory that autumn. That was Guardiola's longest winless streak as a manager.
It ended as his side took a comprehensive 4-0 victory away from The Hawthorns. However, the result papered over the cracks of that campaign, with the club unable to put any real title challenge together.
By contrast, Tuesday's 3-1 penalty shootout win against Wolves marked City's 12th successive victory since the 1-1 draw with Everton in August and it set a new club record. It's a different City going to West Brom on Saturday.
This time 12 months ago, they were down on their luck and on the brink of meltdown. Now, they're full of confidence, scoring for fun, and with the potential to give supporters one of their most memorable seasons.
One of the biggest changes has been in defence. Claudio Bravo, while the hero with penalty and one-on-one saves on Tuesday, was jittery and shaky last term. By this stage, he'd already been drawing criticism after replacing fan favourite Joe Hart, as simple shots beat him and he was sent off for a daft handball in a 4-0 loss at Barcelona.
Ederson's arrival as the new No.1 has sparked a revolution in the team's rearguard, spelling the end for Bravo as first choice. Not only is the Brazilian making saves the Chilean wasn't, his reading of the game to come out and sweep up behind his defenders has allowed them to push up higher and City to press the ball in the opposition half.
That's contributed to a massive swing in how many chances the opposition have created. By the time they travelled to West Brom last season, City had allowed 29 shots on target in the Premier League, conceding nine. With a goalkeeper that was letting in simple shots, it felt like the team were going backwards defensively.
A year on, the record is far better -- City have allowed less than half of that total on their goal, with just 14 efforts finding the target from their opponents, and only four hitting the back of the net.
Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images
The stats back up what fans are seeing in the defence, which looks far more assured and capable than it did at this stage in Guardiola's debut season. Now, the passing game works as players look more at ease with possession in their own final third. Even the absence of Vincent Kompany has barely been felt, with both John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi stepping up.
That's sparked the second big change in City from this time last year. Sure, the 4-0 win at West Brom was a great attacking display, but it was a one-off performance in what would turn out to be a difficult spell.
This time, though, Guardiola's side have been the best scorers for this stage of a top-flight campaign since the late 19th Century, and are averaging more than three goals a match.
More records could be broken on Saturday, too. Sergio Aguero needs one goal to become the club's top scorer, while a victory would also see City equal their longest streak of away league wins -- they're on six, a run that stretches back to their 5-0 success at Watford on the last day of last season.
Throughout his first year in charge at the Etihad, Guardiola consistently bemoaned his side's performance "in both boxes". Having corrected the defensive errors, he's improved the offensive displays by helping his forwards take more chances.
City are having far more shots on target and from better positions -- the majority of their goals this season have been virtually un-missable, as opportunities have been worked to give the forward players tap-ins or open goals. In each case, there's normally more than one player who can finish off a chance, too.
It's become clear in the 12 months since City last went to West Brom in the Premier League, Guardiola has been slowly building his vision. Many were quick to criticise his methods as they often fell down last season, but there can be nothing but praise for his approach when it's produced the football it has so far this campaign.
Source: espn.co.uk
Comments
This article has 0 comment(s) , give your comment