Points If Not Prizes, Burnley 1 vs 2 City

“It's good news!”, Pep Guardiola – 26/01/2016.

Goals; Marney (15');Aguero (37', 60')

Line Up (4-2-3-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (5)
Sagna (5.5)
Kolorov (5.5)
Otamendi (5)
Clichy (6)
Fernandhino (6.5)
Fernando (7.5)
Sterling (6.5), (Sane (6) 77')
Toure (7), (Nava (5.5) 89')
Nolito (6), (DeBruyne (5.5) 78')
Aguero (8)

Stats; Possession, 33%/67%; Shots, 10(5)/21(5); Fouls, 8/15

Referee; Andre Marriner (5.5)

The positives from the game are obvious. Burnley at home, are a difficult and persistent side to break down, as shown earlier in the season with their win against Champions Liverpool. Digging out a result at Turf Moor is, in black and white terms at least, a valuable show of character in what has been a tough week of three away games. It was also good to see two excellent performances from Toure and Aguero. Yaya for the second time in a week showing he's still a threat at this level, and Kun was in need of a goal and scored a brace and came close to a third. 

It was, however, the third game on the bounce where City have failed to hit anywhere near their best form, and with the December fixture glut looming, a turn around in performances will be needed soon to maintain the title push. Of greater worry is the inability of the defence to keep a clean sheet, and perhaps the time has come to see something of the EDS players in this capacity (Maffeo in particular looked a solid prospect, and far from out of his depth, when used in the League Cup verses Trafford, and Adarabioyo is also worth a look whilst the first team centre back's continue to struggle).

It was the centre back worries which showed through early on in this game, with Otamendi perhaps lucky to not have already given away a penalty before providing the assist to Marney on 15'. Luckily Aguero was back to his poaching best as he grabbed the scrambled equaliser, scoring from close range on 37' after the ball took a deflection from the corner. From then on City looked in control but without any of the cutting edge seen when at their best.

After the break City continued to dominate possession, but with little in the way of attempts on target, until another scramble in the box led to City taking the lead. Yaya could possibly have had a penalty after ex-Blue, Ben Mee kicked him in the stomach, and then in the aftermath, Fernandinho managed to squeeze the ball over to Aguero, who again put the ball in the net from close range, 1-2.

So a welcome 3 points, and a chance to rest and recuperate for a week, before the vital six pointer verses Chelski, and hopefully a return of blistering early season form.     #CTID

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

Borussia Moenchengladbach 1 vs 1 Manchester City – On to the next one.

“The first part of the season is so important, to qualify for the next round. We did it – and now we can focus on the Premier League” 

, Guardiola - 23/11/2016

Goals;   Raffael (23'); Silva (46')


Line Up (3-1-4-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (5)
Otamendi (6)
Stones (6)
Kolorov (6)
Gundogan (7),
Fernandinho (7)
Sterling (6)
Silva (8),
De Bruyne (7)
Navas (6)
Aguero (6)

Stats; Possession 31%/69%; Shots 12(5)/11(7); Fouls 13/10.

The last few weeks have been somewhat of a yo-yo. Depending on which hour of the day you look on social media you will gauge a different overall consensus on the blues this season. From the fantastic to the "fraudulent". City’s last away fixture in the group C quite nicely summarised this bipolar opinion. 

City started with three at the back; Stones, Kolarov and Otamendi providing the base for the remaining 8 to roam with attacking intent. This was by no means a match to remember. City just weren’t really clicking in the first half. One eye over their shoulders at the goings on at Celtic Park was inevitable. 

Meanwhile, Gladbach seemed the more determined to make their mark. That they did on the 23’ as John Stones controversially lost out in a 50/50 battle just inside the City half. The ball finding Raffael on the edge of the City box for his shot to be deflected past Bravo. Still struggling to keep a clean sheet and City were at risk of taking the ‘typical’ route. 

However, City began to control possession slightly and if it wasn’t for Sergio having Ice-skates on again he may have found himself one on one with Sommer on a few occasions. Heading into the final minutes, the game was evenly balanced with no team boasting any real intensity. In added time in the first half it was quality that brought City level. Sterling found De Bruyne marauding forward who cut back towards the six yard box for skipper Silva to poke the ball into the German sides net. All square and yet another assist for our Belgian crack. 

After the break this one can only be described as, well, odd. On 50’ the Gladbach captain, Stindl, was shown a second yellow for an off the ball body check on Otamendi just inside the City half. What a moron. This is where you expected City to go on to dominate. The aptly named Turkish referee Cuneyt, had other ideas. On 60’ Fernandinho was also shown a second yellow for what seemed to be a throwback to Kevin Horlock’s aggressive walking. 

From here on in, the game seemed to simmer. Was it the exciting attacking football we want to see every minute of the match? Unfortunately not. However, if City had gone on to leave men forward we all would have been more annoyed if we left ourselved vulnerable or got a man injured. This is just one more positive step forward in establishing ourselves as a Champions League force. It was unnecessary to push for the victory. Burnley away will be an extremely tough game on Saturday. It is this level of game management that separates the winners from the also ran’s in this competition. We are in the pot and with the luck of the draw we could be closer than everyone thinks to that pot with big ears. 

@PatrickElano

"Oh Before, He Breaks Away and Scores ... Oh Yaya Toure I Think We Should Pay Him Some More ..." Crystal Palace 1 vs. 2 City

“Now we have another player who can help us this season ... His personality and his quality are there to see ...”, Pep Guardiola – 19/11/2016.

Goals; Wickham (66');Toure (39', 83')



Line Up (4-2-3-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (6.5)
Sagna (6.5)
Kompany (6), (Zabalateta (6.5) 37')
Otamendi (6)
Kolorov (6)
Toure (8)
Fernandhino (8.5)
Sterling (6.5)
De Bruyne (6.5)
Nolito (7), (Silva (5.5) 67')
Aguero (6), (Fernando (5.5) 86')


Stats;Possession, 38%/62%; Shots, 9(2)/10(4); Fouls, 12/15
Referee; Robert Madley (4)

In what was probably the worst we have seen of City this season, three football truisms shone out to put a smile back on City fans' faces. No.1 , one-twos inside the area are almost undefendable in the modern game. No.2, packing the box makes it far easier to score a goal. No.3, Yaya Toure still has one of the best footballing brains, if no longer the legs, in a Man City shirt! 

With results and performances for Liverpool and Arsenal, showing its not just the City squad that struggled after an international break made overly long with completely pointless friendlies. City can take solace from this slightly fortunate turn around, having taken 3 points on a Saturday where other title hopefuls have failed, and also managing to rest Gundogan and  Stones for mid-week.

Alan Pardew had certainly got the memo... "Clatter City and push them hard and the ref will do nothing", and this coupled with tired looking performances from a lot of the team, made it look like a long afternoon from the start. In fact it took eighteen minutes to set up the first meaningful chance of the game with Nolito being denied a shot on goal after good work from Sterling down the right. Things then looked to be going from bad to worse, when on 37', Kompany was forced to retire early (seeing double) after taking the worst of a bad collision with Bravo, whilst stopping Puncheon as he ran on goal.

Luckily two of City's oldest and canniest players had not got the message that this was an "off day", and produced a goal of pure class to, temporarily at least, give the fan's reward for their long trip and highly vocal support. Having got away with a certain free-kick just outside the box for a foul on Aguero, Palace gave away the ball as Streling bore down on Kelly, forcing the left back to skew his pass to DeBruyne. Following a quick pass to Yaya and a one two from the Ivorian power house with Aguero, he then linked with Nolito to play another fabulous one two inside the box before crashing the ball into the top left with his right in-step, 1-0, Yaya was back!

After the break it was, unfortunately, much of the same low energy stuff from City as Palace built up a head of steam. This culminated first in a cynical off the ball foul by Puncheon on Zabaleta, blatantly taking out the Argentinian 25 yards from goal as he moved to get onto a De Bruyne pass, ... how he escaped a red, let alone any punishment is beyond me (see the ref score above, unfortunately not a rarity this or any other season).  Then second, the inevitable happened, and City's defence gave way to a quick break; when following an attack, which could have led to an Aguero goal, Palace broke and Connor Wikham made it 1-1 from Saha's pass.

Following this knock back, City finally seemed to muster some steam, and continued to press for a winner, while Palace slowly seemed to be settling for a draw. And then on 83', that man again Yaya Toure, lolloped into the six yard box, apparently unseen by the Palace defence to guide home the winner from two yards out from De Bruynes low corner, 2-1 game-over, and we can all love Yaya again despite his bad staff choices! With him apparently receiving a standing ovation as he entered the dressing room after the game, this is a welcome addition to the squad as we start the descent into Christmas fixture mayhem.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

The Inevitable Hangover?, City 1 vs 1 Middlesboro

“We have to close the game with a second or third goal and we couldn't do that. We created six or seven chances and didn't score”, Pep Guardiola – 05/11/2016.

Goals; Aguero (43'); Forshaw (90+1'); 

Line Up (4-1-4-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (6)
Zabaleta (6)
Stones (6)
Kolorov (5.5)
Clichy (5)
Fernandinho (6.5)
Navas (7) (Garcia (5.5) 86')
DeBruyne (7)
Gundogan (6.5), (Nolito (5.5) 75')
Silva (6.5)
Aguero (6.5), (Iheanacho (5.5) 90')

Stats;Possession, 71%/29%; Shots, 25(5)/7(3); Fouls, 7/15
Referee; Friend (6)

For all the statistics stacked up in the Blues favour, the total possession, the multiple attempts on target, the blocks, and the woodwork, there's only one real stat that matters, City drew again. And that's the one which if repeated too often (and its been seen three time already against sides which park the bus), may eventually cost City any chance of the title.

After the euphoria of Tuesday night, it was always going to be difficult to raise the tempo again, but in the first half tempo didn't seem to be a problem, end product did.  City were dominant. So much so Boro didn't have a shot, let alone a shot on target. The attacks came in waves, but importantly for Boro, largely from outside the box as the six man defence and three holding midfielders held firm. It was telling that the first save was from a hopeful effort from Kolorov from 25 yards after 23'. But that seemed to get the message through, if Aleks is shooting, maybe something's not quite right? DeBruyne followed up soon after with his own effort just wide, and then efforts from Aguero, DeBruyne , and Silva all came close before FINALLY! the breakthrough just before half time, with DeBruyne threading the ball through half a dozen Boro bodies to meet a perfectly timed run from Aguero to tap in, 1-0.

The second half, should have been easier, a chance to press whilst Boro had to come out. A chance to get another goal on the break or from a loose second ball. But unfortunately it was Boro who came out with the ideas, and City who were already looking tired. Boro got out of the blocks with an early effort from Forshaw, well saved by Bravo out quickly from his goal. But for City the first fifteen minutes of the second half were at best careless, and more than reminded Boro that just a single goal, and they were right back in the game. Perhaps it was too much to ask all the core players from mid-week to maintain the performance for another ninety, perhaps it was just lack of concentration, but City just didn't get going. Slowly but sure Boro edged themselves into a game they had not previously deserved to be in, and City didn't seem to be able to stop it, especially via a series of perplexing substitutions just as you might hope we'd complete a shut out.

And then it came, In the second minute of injury time, a sucker punch. Friend released from marking Navas, was able to lob a hopeful cross put into the box, that shouldn't have been allowed to arrive , and should have been better dealt with by Clichy, as DeRoon got his head to the ball first, 1-1, sickener.

So again the worrying blueprint pays dividends. First Everton, then Southampton and now Middlesboro have simply set out a back six, and a solid centre three, all willing to be overly robust in the challenge. It is something Pep has so far also been unable to get his head around, but needs to do quickly, as rivals pick up points simply because teams are more willing to play football against them. Whatever the answer the players will have plenty to ponder on as they head into an international break, with City having surrendered top spot.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

A New Milestone: City 3 v 1 Barcelona

“We dominated Barca, the result is more than deserved” 

, Gundogan - 01/11/2016

Goals; Messi (21); Gundogan (39, 74); KDB (51)


Line Up (4-2-3-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Caballero (7.5)
Zabaleta (8)
Otamendi (7)
Stones (8)
Kolorov (7)
Gundogan (9.5),
Fernandinho (7.5) (Fernando (7) 60')
Sterling (8) (Navas (7) 71')
Silva (8),
De Bruyne (8.5) (Nolito (N/A) 90')
Aguero (8.5)

Stats; Possession 41%/59%; Shots 13(4)/9(3); Fouls 17/16.

If you were among the camp who had zero optimism heading into City’s sixth attempt at taking on the Catalan giants, you were not in the minority. Even after a blistering display at the Hawthorns, where City had put an end to a win-less streak that was starting to cause real concern, fans were reticent to hope for anything positive, having come to realize Barcelona are a different proposition to premier league opposition. In our previous six meetings with Barcelona, matches had always seemed to descend towards a ‘typical city’ climax with as many red cards as goals. However, the City that emerged last night were anything but ‘typical’. 

City started the game similarly to the clash at the Camp Nou a fortnight ago, where they had in no way looked out of their depth, until Bravo's red card. Early pressure almost bearing fruit as Raheem Sterling was wrongly denied a penalty in the first ten minutes and picked up a laughable yellow card in the process. Boos rang around the Etihad, for the second time that evening, as the sinking feeling of “here we go again” started to creep into the minds of the faithful. This sinking feeling got considerably worse as another promising spell from City was quickly countered by Barcelona and ended in Messi sliding the ball passed Willy Cabellero. All that early pressure for nothing. 

The remainder of the first half was a nervy one to say the least. City looked anxious. That early pressing which saw City match the Spanish Champions in the opening 20 minutes had dwindled as we began to stand off, leaving gaps for Messi, Suarez and Neymar to cause problems. Otamendi started to return to type and made some rash decisions. However, future England captain John Stones was excellent in covering the space, playing like he was born to fight at this level. Nevertheless, with only 28% possession from the 20th to 30th minute, it was going to take all sorts of stars to align, to get back in the game. 

Perhaps the first of those stars, was DeBruyne. Having switched positions with Silva minutes before, DeBruyne's harassment of Sergi Roberto caused the Spaniard to release a stray pass, immediately latched upon by Aguero. The Argentinian hero of so many City games then slid the ball into the path of Sterling who then unselfishly teed up Gundogan to slot home at the back post. It was a goal that perfectly summed up Pep’s philosophy. Press, win the ball in the final third, and be ruthless.

This philosophy was certainly drilled into the players in the dressing room at half time. After the break City were fantastic, with arguably their best half of football ever in Europe. They didn’t let Barcelona breathe on the ball. They pressed high, not allowing ‘MSN’ any room to engineer. Again it was this pressing, from Aguero, who then found Silva at the edge of the box drawing a foul from Buqsuets (how he escaped a red all game is still a mystery). De Bruyne had not read the script. He unleashed a phenomenal freekick that goalkeeper Ter Stegan could only tickle as it whistled into the top right hand corner. For the first time, City were winning in a match versus Barcelona. 

If ever you needed a picture that these City players wanted this more than anything, the celebration that followed painted a thousand words. The word passion gets thrown around so much in football that it has almost become an unobtainable threshold where these footballers will never show enough. That celebration blew those doors wide open. Pride in battle, off the badge but not off the pitch. 

From this point onwards it could have been 4 or 5. Barcelona did not know how to handle City's more direct version of Barcelona's playing style. Messi started to come deeper and deeper looking for an opening that City were determined to keep shut. Where we had played ourselves into danger in previous games, we knew when to get rid. Aguero and Sterling always providing an outlet for the break. 

A special mention is needed for our main man. Pep has said that he wants more from his strikers. They are not a separate entity from the rest of the pack, but the first line of pressure. Sergio was out to prove he was that perfect piece. He never stopped pressing, he provided outlets on both wings, linking with Silva, KDB and Sterling as part of a fluid machine. World Class. 

Come 70’, at the time that all City fans looked at the clock and asked “how are there still 20 f***in minutes left?!” and thoughts crept to the inevitable Barca equaliser, this City team decided to turn it up another gear! In an "anything you can do, we can do better counter attack", Aguero nicked the ball off his mate Lionel and City flooded forward. Sergio found DeBruyne, who played a perfectly weighted through ball to Navas who was busting a gut to the byline to get his cross in. The cross that was just behind Aguero who could only let it hit his body for Gundogan to pick up the pieces and slam the decisive third goal home! 

So much can be said of this performance. Gundogan and DeBruyne were worth their weight in gold. Stones was immovable. Zaba was colossal. Aguero proved why he should be knocking on the Ballon D’or. Last night was a milestone. The next step in this journey that we have strapped ourselves in for. We have the greatest manager in world football. We have shown that we are no longer also-rans in European competition. Typical city will stay in our hearts forever, but on 1/11/2016 the ashes were scattered and Pep's City is well and truly alive and kicking on! 

@PatrickElano