“I'm proud of the young players and how they played. At that level you need to be more clinical with the last pass but it's difficult against United”, Pep Guardiola – 26/10/2016.
Goals; Mata (54');
Line Up (4-4-2) (match ratings in brackets);
Caballero (6.5)
Maffeo (7.5)
Kompany (c)(5.5), (Kolorov 45' (5.5))
Otamendi (6)
Clichy (5)
Fernando (7)
Navas (7)
García (7)
Nolito (6), (Aguero (6) 71')
Iheanacho (6)
Sane (5.5), (Sterling (6) 63')
Stats;Possession, 48%/52%; Shots, 8(2)/5(0); Fouls, 17/14
Referee; Mike Dean (5.5)
Line Up (4-4-2) (match ratings in brackets);
Caballero (6.5)
Maffeo (7.5)
Kompany (c)(5.5), (Kolorov 45' (5.5))
Otamendi (6)
Clichy (5)
Fernando (7)
Navas (7)
García (7)
Nolito (6), (Aguero (6) 71')
Iheanacho (6)
Sane (5.5), (Sterling (6) 63')
Stats;Possession, 48%/52%; Shots, 8(2)/5(0); Fouls, 17/14
Referee; Mike Dean (5.5)
A lot of plus points tonight, despite the loss, from what turned out to be a match between City's second string and United's strongest team.
Pep Guardiola made nine changes, with only Otamendi and Clichy retaining their places from the weekend draw against Southampton. Showing trust in his whole squad, Pep chose a mix of experience and youth, with City's youth contingent including starts for Garcia, and Maffeo, both of whom gave great account of themselves. Maffeo in particular was none stop in keeping Rashford and Shaw quiet for much of the game.
City were more direct than we have come to expect in the opening half, with a more traditional shape to the line up, but the high tempo was there as was the pressing. This pressure on the ball gave City perhaps their best chance early on with the ball being released to Navas, who having one of his better games in a City shirt, crossed neatly for Iheanacho, who unfortunately got slightly under the header as it went high and wide.
After the break, it was United who stepped up a gear, and it was this aggression which brought the goal. Suspicions of fouls first on Otamendi and then Fernando, being waved away before Mata slotted home..
Once the goal went in City didn't really switch up the couple of gears needed to get back into the game. First Sterling and then Aguero were brought on to up the quality, but despite a good ten minute spell, the possession was all outside the box and United's defence never really looked troubled. Though it should be noted that yet again City were denied a clear penalty when Garcia was fouled in the box. So a dissapointing result with the upside of a rested first team squad and a great 90 minutes from two of City's future hopes. I would have liked to have seen Angelino as well, especially given both Clichy and Kolorov remain out of form, maybe soon... #CTID
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
