John Stones was forced out of action for England in their international friendly clash against Belgium on Tuesday evening due to an unfortunate injury.

It is the latest blow in a growing list of problems sustained by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City defensive options, following on from Kyle Walker in England’s last outing as well as Manuel Akanji in the run-up to Switzerland’s final meeting this week.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will be keeping an eager eye on the fitness of Eduardo Camavinga after the Real Madrid star suffered a suspected ankle injury.

Manchester City’s captain Kyle Walker has been described as ’50/50′ over his availability for the weekend’s mammoth clash against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, and will undergo a scan on his hamstring issue.

Ortega; Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic, De Bruyne ©; Bernardo, Haaland, Foden.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Apr 1 2024, 02:08 AM

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 7.5
Was rarely called on but made the saves he needed to and had solid distribution.

Manuel Akanji – 7
Operated in numerous positions throughout the match through tactical instruction and forced scenarios, but was largely faultless in all.

Ruben Dias – 7.5
Commanded the centre of defence with a number of partners throughout, and kept the door shut on a bright Arsenal attack

Nathan Ake – 6
Nothing he could do more in the time he was on the field, and we await confirmation around his injury that forced a substitution after 30 minutes.

Josko Gvardiol – 8
Best player on the pitch in the first-half. Excellent in possession and created a few chances with his crosses as well. Was called on less in the second half once Jack Grealish came on.

Rodri – 8.5
It was a slow start but Rodri had full control of the match by the second half. Our Man of the Match through the way he commanded Manchester City’s midfield.

Kevin De Bruyne – 7
A very quiet first half but like everyone else he was better in the second. Didn’t have as much space to work with as previous games, but he wasn’t as poor as previous matches.

Mateo Kovacic – 7.5
Was tasked with providing control similar to how Bernardo Silva has in seasons past. Did an excellent job breaking Arsenal’s press in the first half. Wasn’t needed in the second half with how defensive Arsenal became.

Bernardo Silva – 8
Just the epitome of a big game player. Was perfect on the ball and refused to lose possession.

Erling Haaland – 6.5
Battled with Gabriel for every single ball, didn’t have too much service to work with but needed to haver done better on the cut back pass to Ruben Dias.

Phil Foden – 6.5
A quiet performance. Arsenal were so compact when out of possession that we hasn’t able to find any space to work in. Understand why Pep Guardiola withdrew him relatively early into a tense second-half.

Substitutes

Rico Lewis – 7
Settled into the game comfortably given the circumstances, and was assured on and off the ball.

Jeremy Doku – 7
A largely stereotypical Jeremy Doku performance; beating his man with ease only to give the ball away.

Jack Grealish – 7
The Jack Grealish performance we have become accustomed too, but fantastic to see the control brought back into the forward line, and hopefully a run of games is now on the horizon for the Englishman.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Apr 1 2024, 02:22 AM

Player Ratings

Ortega
His excellent claim from Arsenal's first corner of the game felt significant given the threat they can pose from set pieces. It sent out a strong message. 7

Akanji
Passing was crisp all afternoon and movement good at times to push beyond Rodri, an area he normally finds difficult when replicating the 'Stones role'. 7

Dias
Never troubled by Havertz but Arsenal rarely attacked right through the middle. Read the game well at times and shifted along a position when Ake went off. 7

Ake
Missed a big chance before his injury and loose with a pass out of defence. 5.

Gvardiol
Started shakily with a loose pass giving Arsenal a counter-attacking opportunity, but grew into the game. Held his width well and did a very good job on Saka. 7

Rodri
Got the better of Rice but it wasn't the kind of high-quality midfield battle we expected. Stopped Arsenal getting any real sniff of a chance on the break. 7

Kovacic
Curled one shot wide but was inevitable his number would be up when Doku and Grealish came on. Tidy in possession at times but felt like he didn't influence the game one way or another. 6

De Bruyne
Was vital in this fixture a year ago but struggled this season. Was well marshalled by Arsenal's tightly packed midfield and only came alive in the final 20 minutes. 6

Bernardo
The kind of game he usually relishes and was solid enough without ever threatening to break it open. 6

Foden
Could have no real complaints with being taken off, but would have been nice to see him central. Struggled to get into the game in his narrow role. 5

Haaland
One of his more frustrating afternoons. Had a difficult headed chance late in the first half but not even a sniff of goal aside from that. 5

Subs

Lewis
Felt like a big afternoon for him and did well. One superb turn in an attacking position. Was kept busy by Jesus but never gave up. 6

Grealish
Didn't see much of the ball after coming on. 6

Doku
Came on in a right-wing position for a change but felt familiar for his recent form. Some good runs but lacking any kind of final ball. 6

This post has been edited by kjs86: Apr 1 2024, 02:24 AM

Player Ratings

GK: Stefan Ortega - 5/10 - Largely a spectator on Sunday.

RB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Jesus didn't cause him too many problems.

CB: Ruben Dias - 6/10 - The Portuguese star's distribution was solid, completing well over 90% of his passes from out of the defensive third.

CB: Nathan Ake - N/A - Went off injured early on.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Showed a few moments of quality in the final third, and coped well with Saka.

DM: Rodri - 8/10 - Utterly dominated the midfield, making light work of Delan Rice, Jorginho and Martin Odegaard. The Spain international completed 105 passes and won a whopping 14 duels.

RM: Bernardo Silva - 5/10 - Some nice touches but didn't create much.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne - 5/10 - The Belgian's delivery was surprisingly wayward all day.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - 5/10 - Had one notable pop at goal early in the second half, but didn't do much else.

LM: Phil Foden - 5/10 - Didn't pose any semblance of a threat to Arsenal's backline.

ST: Erling Haaland - 4/10 - Pocketed by William Saliba on the day.

Substitutes
SUB: Rico Lewis ('25 for Ake) - 5/10

SUB: Jeremy Doku (60' for Foden) - 5/10

SUB: Jack Grealish (60' for Kovacic) - 5/10

Manager - Pep Guardiola - 6/10 - His team dominated but lacked any semblance of cutting edge in the final third.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega - 6
One big take from a set play early on settled the nerves. The German’s distribution could have been crisper.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5
Big performance again by Akanji. Strong in the challenge and good on the ball, he keeps standing tall.

Ruben Dias – 7.5
Kept Kai Havertz fairly quiet and followed him everywhere. Reliable once again at centre half.

Nathan Ake – 5.5
Forced off with a calf injury after 27 minutes. Hadn’t really got to the pace of the game before then.

Josko Gvardiol - 7
Often the out ball for City. Went forward with purpose and completed a couple of big recovery tackles.

Rodri - 8
Ran the game. Superb positioning when Arsenal countered and looked like City’s driving force.

Mateo Kovacic – 5.5
A fair reflection of his debut season. Tidy enough with a couple of mistakes but largely passive.

Bernardo Silva – 6.5
Quick start to the game, faded slightly before then taking a more active role after the break.

Kevin De Bruyne - 6
Didn’t get going until the final quarter. His influence then grew and the Belgian looked the most likely.

Phil Foden – 6
Probably unfortunate to be hooked. Looked bright without anything coming off in tight spaces.

Erling Haaland - 6
Good when involved. But not involved enough and couldn’t sort his feet out for a late chance.

Subs
Rico Lewis (for Ake, 27) - 7

Jeremy Doku (for Foden, 61) – 6.5

Jack Grealish (for Kovacic, 61) – 6.5

Manager: Pep Guardiola – 6
Bold changes on the hour tried to force the issue. City didn’t really do enough to emerge victorious.

Ortega; Lewis, Dias ©, Akanji, Gvardiol; Rodri, Bernardo, Foden; Doku, Alvarez, Grealish.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 7.5
Made a few key saves and was great in distribution. Can’t fault him for an excellent finish from Aston Villa’s Duran.

Rico Lewis – 7.5
Continues to be a metronome when fitting into midfield, needs to improve his finishing but has still looked so smooth despite limited game time this season.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5
Was great on the ball like always but was very poor for Aston Villa’s goal. Will be forgotten because of Phil Foden’s hat trick but those lapses in concentration could cost Manchester City.

Ruben Dias – 8
Was excellent at stopping so many counters before they could even hatch for Aston Villa. Continues to be the backbone of the defence.

Josko Gvardiol – 7.5
Wasn’t needed to be on the ball as much as he was against Arsenal, but still continues to look more and more comfortable with each passing opportunity.

Rodri – 9.5
What more needs to be said about the best midfielder in the world and future Ballon D’or winner?! He barely put a foot wrong all night, had an excellent finish and assisted Phil Foden’s second. Looked absolutely gassed by the 60th minute and deserves a rest.

Bernardo Silva – 7.5
Wasn’t on the ball as much as you’d expect but still created a few chances and was excellent one the press as well. Solid performance as always.

Phil Foden – 10 (MOTM)
Yet another Player of the Season performance by Phil Foden. Will be the first of many.

Jeremy Doku – 8
Another performance where the Belgian continues to improve. Final ball was still shaky at times but the cutback to Rodri was inch perfect.

Jack Grealish – 8
Despite playing his boyhood club, Grealish battled through the boos of his former fans for an excellent controlled performance. He was a little more aggressive than usual and the result was one of his better games of the season.

Julian Alvarez – 7
Another iffy performance from the Argentine. While he didn’t have a ton of service to work with, he couldn’t capitalise on his major chance and lost the ball quite a few times. Weirdly didn’t look as intense in the press either.

Substitutes

Matheus Nunes – 6.5

Mateo Kovacic – 6.5

Sergio Gomez – 6.5

Oscar Bobb – 6.5

This post has been edited by kjs86: Apr 4 2024, 06:06 AM

Player Ratings

Ortega: Made two excellent saves in the second half with the score at 2-1 that kept City's lead. Another good save in the first, although that was offside. 8

Lewis: Terrific link-up play with Foden as the two scurried between the Villa shirts up the pitch, although Villa's goal came from the space that Lewis left behind. 7

Akanji: Lewis going forward meant Akanji stayed back. He wasn't brilliant for the Villa goal but made up for it with his general play. 7

Dias: A few too many loose touches that incurred Guardiola's wrath, although certainly had his moments in a physical battle with Duran. 6

Gvardiol: Another decent outing, looking comfortable on the ball and getting City out of some tight positions with his awareness. 7

Rodri: Outstanding and undroppable. A good goal and an even better assist for Foden to make the game safe, on top of everything else he brings. 9

Silva: A rare shift in the middle, and worked well with Jack Grealish to build City advantages on the left. 7

Foden: His first half wasn't amazing, but the three goals that followed made his performance another phenomenal one. 9

Doku: His decision making still needs work but he showed good strength in the first half and picked up an assist. 7

Grealish: Lively, aggressive, and able to win free-kicks at important moments for his team. This is the Grealish from last season. 7

Alvarez: His movement and awareness were excellent but his finishing was average. Should have had at least one goal. 6

Substitutes
Kovacic (for Rodri, 75) Settled into a game already won. 6

Nunes (for Silva, 75) Came close to giving a penalty away and then nearly scored. 6

Bobb (for Foden, 80) Almost found Alvarez in the box. 6

Gomez (for Doku, 80) A cameo on the right wing. 6

Player Ratings

GK: Stefan Ortega - 7/10 - Matched the majority of what came his way, although he couldn't prevent Duran's first half effort.

RB: Rico Lewis - 6/10 - A quiet game from the youngster, who wasn't overly involved in either half for Man City.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 7/10 - Stepped into midfield to create the overload and won a number of his duels with the physical Duran.

CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - Beaten too easily on the one-two that led to Villa's opener but grew into the game and put in a solid performance.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Endured a difficult evening up against Moussa Diaby but settled after the break.

DM: Rodri - 9/10 - Produced a smart run and finish to fire Man City ahead and set up Foden's second of the night with a clever pass. Another terrific display, as expected.

RM: Jeremy Doku - 8/10 - Another lovely display from the Belgian who took every opportunity to run at his markers. Created the opener with a precise cross.

CM: Phil Foden - 10/10 - Another magical display from Foden, for whom we are running out of superlatives. Three excellent strikes in an effortless and dazzling performance.

CM: Bernardo Silva - 6/10 - Not his busiest evening and was outshone by some of his midfield teammates.

LM: Jack Grealish - 6/10 - Met with a chorus of boos from the away fans following every touch, but didn't do much to silence them despite some lively moments.

ST: Julian Alvarez - 7/10 - The Argentine was heavily involved in the final third and linked up well with Foden and others. Spurned a few good openings.

Substitutes
SUB: Mateo Kovacic (75' for Rodri) - 6/10

SUB: Matheus Nunes (75' for Silva) - 6/10

SUB: Sergio Gomez (80' for Doku) - 6/10

SUB: Oscar Bobb (80' for Foden) - 6/10

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega - 6.5
Could do absolutely nothing about Duran’s impeccable finish low into the far corner. Made a crucial save to deny Douglas Luiz when Villa counter-attacked in numbers just before the hour mark, then Clement Lenglet from the resulting corner.

Josko Gvardiol - 7
Managed to nullify the threat of Moussa Diaby for the most part, which is no mean feat. Best of the City back three on the night.

Ruben Dias - 6
Was caught in two minds for Villa’s goal in terms of pressing Rogers and tracking the run of Duran. Did little else wrong thereafter.

Manuel Akanji - 6
The Swiss is solid enough but it was down his side on the right of the back three that found itself exposed on more than one occasion.

Rico Lewis - 7.5
May be the new kid on the block at age 19 but he’s supremely confident and is never one to be shy of the ball. Provides good legs alongside Rodri.

Rodri - 8
Delivered a thunderous finish to fire City ahead. That’s now eight goals for City in all competitions this season; his most in a single campaign in his club career. His clever footwork on the edge of Villa’s box took three players out the game before he teed up Foden for 3-1.

Phil Foden - 9
Absolutely breathtaking. His first was magic, his second was clinical and his third was world class. He’s just an absolute joy to watch. The way he glides past people like they are in a different postcode to him looks so effortless… and it most definitely isn’t. His third career hat-trick for City.

Bernardo Silva - 6
Should have scored on the turn when played in in the area by Foden five minutes after the interval. A fabulous player but he’s influenced games much more than he did here.

Jack Grealish - 7
The pantomime villain for the away fans, who booed him upon every touch, Grealish was well up for this one and his work-rate could not be questioned. Looked desperate to score. Booked.

Jeremy Doku - 6.5
Had a nervous wait to see if his shoulder was offside before his thrashed in cross was hit home by Rodri for 1-0. Felt the wrath of his manager when he was careless in possession to gift Villa a three-on-two counter-attack… thankfully for him it came to nothing.

Julian Alvarez - 5.5
A frustrating night for the Argentine, who showed in some wasteful finishing flashes of what City fans saw time and again when Gabriel Jesus was here.

SUBS

Mateo Kovacic (for Rodri, 75) - 6

Matheus Nunes (for Silva, 75) - 6

Sergio Gomez (for Jeremy Doku, 80) - 6

Oscar Bobb (for Phil Foden, 80) - 6

Manager: Pep Guardiola - 8

Ortega，Lewis，Stones，Rúben Dias，Gvardiol，Rodri，Bobb，De Bruyne，Álvarez，Grealish，Haaland

Lovely by jack and kdb

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 7
Wasn’t at fault for either goal and showed some excellent footwork to get himself out of a jam after a poor back pass from Rodri. Continues to be great with Ederson sidelined.

Rico Lewis – 8
Another unsung performance from the 19-year old. Wasn’t involved in the game as much in the second-half, but walked away with a goal to show for it.

John Stones – 6
Was at fault for the opening goal, and looked out of it at times in the first half. Hopefully just a one-off performance and not a trend.

Ruben Dias – 8
Don’t know if I’ve ever seen Dias more involved in the build-up before. Could’ve been better for Palace’s opening goal, but made up for it when in possession.

Josko Gvardiol – 7
It’s a shame the Croatian picked up an injury because there appeared to be no other reason for the early substitution.

Rodri – 6.5
The assist will hide what was a pretty lacklustre performance.

Kevin De Bruyne – 9.5 (MOTM)
Three goal contributions and maybe one of the best goals scored during the Guardiola era. Had looked out of form as of late but clearly is back to his best.

Julian Alvarez – 6.5
Wasn’t involved much in the build-up. However, the Argentine did seem more composed on the ball and didn’t lose possession as often as he has in the past.

Oscar Bobb – 7
Was great in the opening moments, but the game appeared to drift more towards De Bruyne and Grealish during the second-half.

Jack Grealish – 9
The stats are not going to jump out at you but this was one of Grealish’s best performances of the season. Was involved in all four goals and barely put a foot wrong all day.

Erling Haaland – 7
Was great to see the Norwegian get back on the scoresheet after missing his first chance. Hopefully starts to build some rhythm before Madrid.

Substitutes:
Manuel Akanji – 6.5
Was put in an awkward position coming in to play left back. Didn’t look great at times but the buildup was shaky at times for a lot of City players.

Matheus Nunes – 6.5

Mateo Kovacic – 6.5

Bernardo Silva – N/A

Player Ratings

Ortega: An outrageous Cruyff turn out of trouble in his own six-yard box crowned another excellent performance. 7

Lewis: A terrific shift, pushing up high to link well with Oscar Bobb and also getting into the box. Deserved his goal and didn't let up after that. 8

Stones: A shaky start and lost possession too often in the first half in his first City appearance for a month. Stabilised in the second period. 6

Dias: Led the defence very well but also used the ball excellently, making intelligent passes forward to Lewis to create opportunities but he was beaten for the second goal. 7

Gvardiol: Had a lot of the ball as City pinned Palace back and did well with it. A booking for dissent and then a half-time substitution that doesn't bode well for Real. 6

Rodri: Made more errors in the first half than he has done all season, repeatedly gifting Palace chances. Still ended up with an assist, a rest and almost scored. 5

De Bruyne: Two brilliant goals and an assist is difficult to argue with. He had some sticky moments but did exactly what Guardiola wants him to. 9

Alvarez: Back to being an attacking midfielder with Haaland in the side and he struggled to keep the ball or create anything of note. 6

Bobb: Promising again on just his second start in the league, an outlet on the right even if he wasn't always on the same wavelength as De Bruyne. 7

Grealish: No assists but an important role in all four goals that City scored. An excellent afternoon's work that sets him up for Real. 8

Haaland: Missed a big chance in the first half but took one in the second to make the game safe for City. 30 for the season now. 7

Substitutes

Akanji (for Gvardiol, 46) Didn't get the rest Guardiola probably wanted to give him and nearly gifted Palace a goal. 6

Nunes (for Alvarez, 74) A good run to fashion a shot but then a poor finish. Where have we heard that before? 6

Kovacic (for Rodri, 74) Sat in front of the defence and helped the team see out the game. 6

Silva (for De Bruyne 90) No time

Player Ratings

GK: Stefan Ortega - 6/10 - One impeccable Cruyff turn under pressure late in the first half, but couldn't stop either Palace goal.

CB: John Stones - 5/10 - A difficult return to the team for the defender who was skinned by Mateta for Palace's opener. Looked a little sluggish when turned by Palace's forwards.

CB: Ruben Dias - 6/10 - Not a particularly notable display from the Portuguese, who also struggled up against Mateta during the first half.

CB: Josko Gvardiol - 4/10 - Couldn't offer any real attacking impetus when driving forward down the left and made some poor decisions defensively. Hooked at half-time.

DM: Rico Lewis - 8/10 - Moved into advanced positions from deep, popping up with a crucial second goal following his late run into the box.

DM: Rodri - 6/10 - Some uncharacteristic errors from the Spaniard during a subpar first half. Performed far better in the second period and set up Man City's fourth with a neat touch.

RM: Oscar Bobb - 6/10 - A quiet afternoon for the youngster, who drifted through the game with little impact.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne - 9/10 - A simply sensational finish got Man City level and he should have had an assist for Haaland in the first half too. He did eventually set the Norwegian up and produced another great strike to double his tally.

CM: Julian Alvarez - 7/10 - Fantastic movement to run beyond the Palace backline from midfield, stretching the defence with some clever sprints.

LM: Jack Grealish - 7/10 - Went under the radar for spells of the game, yet was involved in all four Man City goals. A strange display, but ultimately effective.

ST: Erling Haaland - 6/10 - Missed a great chance in the first half to put City ahead but did grab a goal with a simple finish after the restart.

Substitutes
SUB: Manuel Akanji (46' for Gvardiol) - 7/10 - Helped Man City control proceedings after coming on and retained possession better than Gvardiol.

SUB: Matheus Nunes (74' for Alvarez) - 6/10

SUB: Mateo Kovacic (74' for Rodri) - 6/10

SUB: Bernardo Silva (90' for De Bruyne) - N/A

This post has been edited by kjs86: Apr 6 2024, 10:59 PM

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega-7/10: He could do nothing about either of Palace’s goals. His Cruyff turn in the first half was an absurd piece of skill. Has he done enough to start against Real Madrid next week?

Rico Lewis-8/10: Grabbed a goal and put another fantastic display. He has a key role to play on the run home and showed his importance to the champions today.

John Stones-6/10: Not his best display in the first half, but he was a lot better in the second half.

Ruben Dias-6/10: Not his best performance. Like Stones and Rodri, he looked off in the first half but was a little bit better in the second.

Josko Gvardiol-5/10: Not as polished as his previous performances. Substituted at half time for Akanji as Pep looked for a more calming presence at the back.

Rodri-6.5/10: Had a poor first half but was back to his best in the second half. Came off with 15 minutes to go to save his legs for the Bernabeu next week.

Kevin De Bruyne-9/10: Scored two absolute worldies and provided an assist. A man-of-the-match performance for De Bruyne.

Oscar Bobb-7/10: A nice performance from Bobb. He played primarily on the right wing and did his job well. He does deserve more minutes based on his display today.

Julian Alvarez-6/10: He had a couple of chances to score in the first half but put one effort wide and saw another saved. He did work hard, just not his day in front of goal.

Jack Grealish-8/10: Manchester City is a better team with Grealish in it, and his two performances this week have shown that fact. He looks to be hitting form at the right time of the season.

Erling Haaland-7/10: Grabbed his goal in the second half and missed one golden chance in the first half. You do get the feeling that his goal will do his confidence the world of good.

Substitutes
Manuel Akanji-7/10: Introduced at half time and did his job well at left-back. Almost gave away a goal when losing possession deep in his own half. Besides that he was very good.

Matheus Nunes- 6/10: Came on for the final 15 minutes with the game won. Showed a few glimpses of his quality.

Mateo Kovacic- 6/10: Gave Rodri a much needed rest for the final stages. Did what was required while he was on the pitch.

Bernardo Silva- N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Manchester City are set to hand star midfielder Rodri a bumper new long-term contract, doubling the Spaniard’s current earnings at the Etihad Stadium.

The Daily Star report that Manchester City are set to double Rodri’s weekly wages from £150,000-per-week to over £300,000-per-week, bringing the Spain international closer the Blues’ highest earners.