Johnny Baguette
Alert Team
Another one that got away, and the dreaded 25 year Middlesbrough curse continues...
Manchester City's Premier League title challenge has reverted to stall mode after the concession of two more priceless home points, this time to an extremely limited Middlesbrough side who at the close looked like a group of players who could not believe their good fortune. Following the euphoria of City's thumping of Barçelona which came hot on the heels of what looked to be a domestic resurgence at West Brom, the current title campaign facts make for grim reading.
The Blues have secured only 6 points in the Premier League from a possible last 15 which is glaring enough, but 6 of the 9 dropped points have come in 3 consecutive fixtures from our 19 at home and unless this alarming trend is reversed next month, then Pep Guardiola's men will enter the new year with a lot of hard work to do if they are to take the title that their swashbuckling football should deserve.
However, the remaining 3 home fixtures of this year, all in December, are against a revitalised Chelsea, Watford and Arsenal in that order. Factor in Champions League commitments and imminent trips to Crystal Palace, Burnley and Leicester around those games and it's clear we've got a job on before we enter an intense Christmas programme.
Quite how City did not win this game nor see off Everton nor Southampton last month is a mystery that beggars belief. This was another Etihad Groundhog Day. Big possession and passing stats, the lion's share of efforts on goal, the only difference being that this time City went ahead through Kun's 150th Mancunian goal. The Blues swung from effervescent to laboured across the 90 minutes and Pep will be mindful of a reminder that at this level, when ahead and in control, one goal is often never enough.
I'm not buying any European fatigue excuse. Sure, it has been a long week and any collective effort that beats the likes Lionel Messi is sure to take it out of a squad's effective but earlier in the season City followed up wins at Steaua and Borussia Monchengladbach with thumping victories over Stoke and Bournemouth. The Blues opened up here full of swagger as well they should having just beaten one of the world's finest teams but inexplicably they just could not kill the game off. For the life of me I cannot even say this was a spirited Boro performance deserving of high praise. I have not yet this season seen a side so constantly and easily dispossessed as the visitors were today. Some of their late tackles on another day could have seen their numbers reduced. Outside of the odd opportunist effort, they were there for the taking and City, who were comfortable for so much of this match simply blew it. They just did not work their keeper enough.
A bitterly disappointing end to a wonderful week. It is now nailed on that City will kick off in London in a fortnight's time having finally relinquished a league top spot and associated impetus that they have flirted with losing once too often.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=573573#ixzz4P9sgx9cW
Manchester City's Premier League title challenge has reverted to stall mode after the concession of two more priceless home points, this time to an extremely limited Middlesbrough side who at the close looked like a group of players who could not believe their good fortune. Following the euphoria of City's thumping of Barçelona which came hot on the heels of what looked to be a domestic resurgence at West Brom, the current title campaign facts make for grim reading.
The Blues have secured only 6 points in the Premier League from a possible last 15 which is glaring enough, but 6 of the 9 dropped points have come in 3 consecutive fixtures from our 19 at home and unless this alarming trend is reversed next month, then Pep Guardiola's men will enter the new year with a lot of hard work to do if they are to take the title that their swashbuckling football should deserve.
However, the remaining 3 home fixtures of this year, all in December, are against a revitalised Chelsea, Watford and Arsenal in that order. Factor in Champions League commitments and imminent trips to Crystal Palace, Burnley and Leicester around those games and it's clear we've got a job on before we enter an intense Christmas programme.
Quite how City did not win this game nor see off Everton nor Southampton last month is a mystery that beggars belief. This was another Etihad Groundhog Day. Big possession and passing stats, the lion's share of efforts on goal, the only difference being that this time City went ahead through Kun's 150th Mancunian goal. The Blues swung from effervescent to laboured across the 90 minutes and Pep will be mindful of a reminder that at this level, when ahead and in control, one goal is often never enough.
I'm not buying any European fatigue excuse. Sure, it has been a long week and any collective effort that beats the likes Lionel Messi is sure to take it out of a squad's effective but earlier in the season City followed up wins at Steaua and Borussia Monchengladbach with thumping victories over Stoke and Bournemouth. The Blues opened up here full of swagger as well they should having just beaten one of the world's finest teams but inexplicably they just could not kill the game off. For the life of me I cannot even say this was a spirited Boro performance deserving of high praise. I have not yet this season seen a side so constantly and easily dispossessed as the visitors were today. Some of their late tackles on another day could have seen their numbers reduced. Outside of the odd opportunist effort, they were there for the taking and City, who were comfortable for so much of this match simply blew it. They just did not work their keeper enough.
A bitterly disappointing end to a wonderful week. It is now nailed on that City will kick off in London in a fortnight's time having finally relinquished a league top spot and associated impetus that they have flirted with losing once too often.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=573573#ixzz4P9sgx9cW
