Along with his dishevelled inexperienced trousers on, the injured Ruben Dias was out on the pitch when the whole lot had completed at Tottenham. Shaking his head with team-mates, holding debriefs. Questioning the place all of it went unsuitable once more.
Manchester Metropolis can level to refereeing selections having impacted one other sport, and argue they have been on the duff finish of the deal as Arsenal completed the weekend six factors clear. Nevertheless it can not detract from the worrying development that has taken maintain for a lot of the season, and much more prominently during the last month.
Within the second half of matches, Metropolis will not be the identical workforce. One thing is occurring at half-time. Because the flip of the yr – and discounting the report win over Exeter Metropolis – they’re main video games 8-2 on mixture earlier than the break. And dropping 7-3 after it.
9 video games and a transparent sample. Pep Guardiola has held discussions along with his backroom workers about it however doesn’t seem to have the ability to put his finger on why Metropolis drop off. Or if he is aware of, hasn’t divulged it publicly. On Sunday evening, he urged that any half-time tweaks would seem unusual provided that his workforce are beginning video games so nicely.
And he’s proper in that – particularly down at Tottenham, the place Metropolis led by two and all people within the stadium felt victory was already sewn up.
Thomas Frank mentioned the concept that all of the 50-50s have been starting to fall for Spurs after Metropolis had gained all of them earlier and maybe he was being form in that evaluation: his workforce have been everywhere in the second balls, first to the whole lot with better goal.
Pep Guardiola struggles to seek out the solutions as his Manchester Metropolis aspect crumble once more within the second half in opposition to Spurs on Sunday
Antoine Semenyo bossed the sport within the first half however was ineffective within the second
That may be a respectable signal of how Metropolis battle. And it comes alongside much less authority and fewer assurance on the ball, a behavior they can not kick.
The knock-on impact of not retaining possession nicely sufficient, not crisply knocking it about as they so repeatedly handle within the first half, is a ceding of ball, management and territory. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s shot-stopping excellence then turns into extra obvious with every passing week.
The identical occurred in opposition to Wolves not too long ago, and Galatasaray. Whereas each had presentable possibilities to drive a manner again into these video games, neither may punish Metropolis in a manner that every one of Chelsea, Brighton, Manchester United and now Spurs have. Of these 4 Premier League video games, Metropolis dropped seven factors within the second half. A reminder: they’re six behind Arsenal.
The one full second-half efficiency of 2026 got here at Newcastle United within the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, with the return approaching Wednesday. Eddie Howe must be telling his gamers to verify they keep inside two targets for so long as attainable and the possibilities will come on the Etihad.
Guardiola did agree that it is a theme on Sunday, though argued that the momentum shifted down at Spurs given the circumstances round Dominic Solanke’s first aim. He’s not provided up any theories however there’s potential mitigation within the variety of accidents and lack of match sharpness.
That is the youngest workforce of Guardiola’s tenure and it wouldn’t be a shock in the event that they weren’t fairly certain methods to reply when offered with tactical variations by the opposition.
Daniel Farke switching to a again three in a bonkers sport with Leeds United in November, when Metropolis have been bailed out by Phil Foden’s stoppage-time winner after surrendering a two-goal lead, is a pertinent instance.
Thomas Frank’s aspect dominated Metropolis bodily within the second half on Sunday, successful each second ball and 50-50
Dominic Solanke seals Tottenham’s second-half comeback along with his audacious scorpion aim
After which there’s emotional stability. Guardiola was drawn on that on Sunday and it introduced Fulham to thoughts. One other mad evening, Metropolis 5-1 up with half an hour left and nearly ending up dropping factors.
‘What occurred within the final video games was we did not management nicely the second half,’ Rodri mentioned. ‘And that is what occurs when you do not management nicely – you possibly can find yourself drawing. Sadly, there was an enormous mistake from the referees within the first aim that should not have counted, and I feel this affected us an excessive amount of.’
Guardiola talked concerning the emotion of Solanke’s first aim and intimated that it engulfed Metropolis. This was a problem in the course of the early years of his reign, Metropolis not reacting to setbacks nicely sufficient, and that it’s crept again in might be all the way down to the new-look squad.
‘Within the final video games we weren’t in line with the ball,’ Guardiola mentioned. He did not add ‘in second halves’ however he would possibly in addition to completed. It is a behavior Metropolis must snap. And quick.
