Player Ratings

Ederson- 4/10: Could do little about Feyenoord’s first goal. But his efforts for their second and third left a lot to be desired. A poor night for the usually reliable Ederson.

Rico Lewis-6/10: He played well but then was helpless like his teammates when the late collapse occurred.

Manuel Akanji- 6/10: When paired with Ake he played well. But, like Lewis was helpless to prevent City’s late collapse. He neededgame’sffer more leadership in the games closing stages.

Nathan Ake-7/10: A composed performance from Ake. Looks to be returning to full fitness and that is crucial for Manchester City.

Josko Gvardiol- 3/10: His first half was brilliant as he made several key interceptions. But that was undone in the second half as he made two errors that let Feyenoord back in the game. He must improve his concentration quickly.

Ilkay Gundogan-7.5/10: Gundogan got caught in possession a few times in the first half, but his second-half performance was the Gundogan we all know. His goal should do his confidence the world of good. A positive performance from Gundogan.

Bernardo Silva- 6.5/10: He was dangerous in the first half but faded out of the game after City went 3-nil up. Bernardo will be fuming as City’s captain on the night with what occurred late.

Matheus Nunes- 7.5/10: A quality display from Nunes. He added energy to City’s midfield and picked up an assist for Haaland’s second of the night. Must start against Liverpool.

Phil Foden-7/10: Much better from Foden. His touch was there in a lively display. He had one shot well-saved, but his overall performance was good.

Jack Grealish-6/10: City were more balanced with Grealish in the starting lineup. He faded out of the game late but nearly won it when his deflected effort hit the crossbar.

Erling Haaland-8/10: Scored two and was a threat all, night. Unfortunately for Haaland his team’s defensive frailties cost them. He couldn’t do much more to lead City to a win.

Substitutes
Kevin De Bruyne- 6/10: He looked lively but he was helpless as City fell apart. He must start at Anfield as the champions lack leadership.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey-5/10: It seems harsh on Simpson-Pusey to get a 5 but he was on the pitch for City’s collapse. That isn’t on him but he’d have hoped to be better when he came on and his rating reflects City’s late collapse.

James McAtee- 5/10: He didn’t offer a lot when he came on. That was a shame as he needed to show more.

To be fair, there's not much you can do with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Despite that, McAtee, made some good runs, had one shot saved but also made one mistake.

JSP didn't do much, but the collapse wasn't on him.

For me, the mistake we made was taking out Gundogan and replacing him with KDB.

We no longer had a proper 6 in the midfield, left our defense exposed and interestingly enough, that's when Gvardiol got exposed. All 3 goals conceded, he had a role in each one of them.

I also fear, the concentration lapses from Gvardiol might be due to fitness issues. He could be exhausted.

If the intention was to replace Gundogan, should have brought in Nico.

There's no leadership defensively, could have brought on Dias for Ake, to get his match fitness up.

It looks like our problems persist. Too slow in the middle. No through ball in the middle to Haaland. That moment from Nunes to feed Haaland by running in the middle, that's what we need.

I think this will be our formation against Liverpool.

Good luck vs Liverpool at this rate

Looking at the line up, somewhat worried. Giving me the same vibes as the Tottenham match.

Ortega Moreno; Walker ©, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes; Bernardo, Haaland, Foden.

Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, De Bruyne, McAtee, Savinho, Doku, Grealish.

ederson would have saved that

city could've been humiliated 4-0 if Liv didn't fluff their chances

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 6

Replaced Ederson for the contest at Anfield, and unfortunately made a mistake in the second-half resulted in a Liverpool penalty. That said, the German made several crucial saves, and without him, City would have probably had to endure an embarrassing scoreline.

Kyle Walker – 2

Mistakes can be forgiven, but the captain’s unaware, nonchalant, and largely irresponsible performance in defence – and not for the first time this season – made him undoubtedly Manchester City’s weakest point.

Ruben Dias – 5.5

He was better than other Manchester City defenders until his mistake in the second-half, followed by errors from Kyle Walker and Stefan Ortega, that ultimately led to a penalty for the hosts.

Nathan Ake – 5

The Dutch international – who came in for Josko Gvardiol – prevented a goal but picked up a yellow card after committing a foul in his desperate attempt to play a ball from Bernardo Silva’s mistake.

Manuel Akanji – 4

His passes were largely misplaced from the beginning, and especially one directed at Ilkay Gundogan, who couldn’t withhold Liverpool attackers but grew better as the game progressed.

Ilkay Gundogan – 5

He struggled in the midfield and could not prevent any of the Liverpool build-ups but got better after setting in the game.

Rico Lewis – 6

He was allowed to play higher and was good with the ball despite overwhelming spells of attack. He paced through Liverpool’s midfield with the ball at his feet.

Bernardo Silva – 5

Uncharacteristically poor performance against Liverpool. His passes were largely poor, with his only memorable moment being his slight tiff with Mohamed Salah – but he would be better off forgetting the same.

Phil Foden – 5

Received a yellow card for an avoidable foul, struggled in the final third, and did almost nothing relevant.

Mattheus Nunes – 5

He struggled to find his way past the Liverpool full-backs and could not find Erling Haaland inside the box, preventing a massive goal from Cody Gakpo.

Erling Haalad – 4

Games like these scream for goalscorers; he may not have received the ball as often, but he should have done better with the chances that were created.

Substitutes

Jeremy Doku – 6

Elevating the entire Manchester City attack with his energy forced Liverpool to defend deep, which helped his other teammates to get inside the box.

Kevin De Bruyne – 5

He missed an easy goal – at least by his standards – and the one that could have been a game-changer.

Savinho – 5

He paired well with Jeremy Doku but could not replicate the latter’s flow on the pitch.

Jack Grealish – 5

Similar to his last appearance, he did not do enough to warrant a rating of his performance, although was not granted sufficient time to make too much of a difference on the contest as a whole, particularly with the scoreline at 2-0.

Player Ratings

Ortega: A big call to start him but he justified his inclusion with several excellent saves and a presence that carried authority. 6

Walker: Lost Gakpo for the goal and guilty of a number of defensive errors and poor decisions going forward. 3

Akanji: Annoyed Guardiola early by not going forward enough but he also saw Liverpool attackers fly past him. Improved as the game went on. 5

Dias: Pitched as a great hope returning after injury but struggled to weather the early storm City were under. 5

Ake: Could have done better for the first goal, although generally did well against Salah in what was one of the most difficult tasks of the season. 5

Gundogan: Helped out by Silva at the base of City's midfield. Some of the game still went passed him but he did manage to find some control. 5

Silva: Gave the ball away to gift Salah a glorious second half chance but was otherwise one of City's better players. 5

Lewis: One of his best games for a while, showing signs of thee early-season form that brought him England recognition. 6

Foden: The story of his season: not terrible but just not what we are used to seeing. 5

Nunes: Didn't do well enough against Alexander-Arnold on he left wing, even if that is not his strongest position. 5

Haaland: Barely got a kick, but when he did there were too many heavy touches that ended City's hopes of a goal. 4

Substitutes

Doku (for Nunes, 57) Bright from the moment he came on. 7

Savinho (for Gundogan, 58) Tried to be tricky to complement Doku. 6

De Bruyne (for Lewis, 78) Missed a big chance to get one back. 5

Grealish (for Foden, 78) Did ok. 6

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega (5/10):

Got his first league start in the biggest game of the season and looked more solid than Ederson until he mistimed his challenge on Diaz.

Kyle Walker (3/10):

Asleep at back post when Gakpo scored and had a tough first half. Rounded off another miserable day with his howler of a clearance in build-up to the penalty.

Ruben Dias (5/10):

His return couldn't lift the defence and despite making some good blocks, he succumbed to the virus himself with his role in the litany of errors leading to the penalty.

Manuel Akanji (4/10):

Not alert enough in or out of possession. Two giveaways led to big Liverpool chances while he gave Salah too much respect for the opening goal.

Nathan Ake (5/10):

Made a good tackle on Salah and gave City a little more security down the left hand side than Gvardiol.

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Showed signs of life in the second half but overall was underwhelming.

Ilkay Gundogan (4/10):

Overwhelmed yet again playing a holding role he's never been suited to.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Made no noticeable contribution in attack.

Rico Lewis (5/10):

Worked hard to try and keep City in the game, although he missed a huge chance to equalise, unwisely shooting with the outside of his foot.

Erling Haaland (4/10):

Got eaten alive by Van Dijk and barely got a look in.

Matheus Nunes (6/10):

Worked hard defensively to try and keep the score dignified. Booked for chopping down Alexander-Arnold and made an excellent tackle on Gakpo.

Subs & Manager

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Looked most likely to create something.

Savinho (5/10):

Gave City more spark but struggled to add substance to his style.

Jack Grealish (5/10):

Created a couple of nice moves that came to nothing.

Kevin De Bruyne (5/10):

Should have done better after Van Dijk gifted him a shot.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

Made two big calls by leaving out Ederson and Gvardiol and his tactics screamed damage limitation.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega: 57%

The busier of the two goalkeepers, he was forced to make five saves, but ultimately conceded the penalty that led to Salah doubling Liverpool’s lead.

Nathan Aké: 57%

He intercepted the ball twice, winning back possession, and successfully made three tackles, including one crucial last-man tackle. However, the Dutch full-back rarely supported City’s attack and was frequently pinned back.

Manuel Akanji: 54%

He made an error that led to a goal, which ultimately impacted his rating, along with only winning 50% of his aerial duels.

Rúben Dias: 56%

He was kept on his toes throughout the match and was forced to make six clearances, achieving a notable retention rate of 93.1%, the highest among centre-backs in this game. However, all of that was negated as City conceded twice.

Kyle Walker: 50%

While he won three aerial duels and appeared comfortable in possession, this wasn’t the Walker of previous seasons, who seemed sluggish when the Reds frequently overloaded his area of the pitch.

Ilkay Gündogan: 59%

Made one successful interception and won possession in the midfield third on three occasions, but Gundogan was often overwhelmed.

Rico Lewis: 59%

Lewis played in yet another different position for City, but this was far from his best performance for his boyhood club. He completed one take-on as Guardiola’s starting winger and won three tackles, but he rarely contributed to the visitors’ attack, managing only one shot that was off target.

Matheus Nunes: 55%

He completed one take-on (from three attempts) while making two entries into the penalty area, but had three unsuccessful touches in a game where he created no chances or had a shot on goal.

Phil Foden: 55%

No player in a City jersey touched the ball in the opposition box more often than Foden, with six touches. However, he was still unable to get a shot on goal or create a significant chance. Furthermore, he was dispossessed a team-high three times.

Bernardo Silva: 55%

In an unfamiliar deep role, Silva won three tackles and completed two take-ons. However, he attempted two shots on goal, neither of which were on target. Although he created one chance, it would not be classified as a big chance.

Erling Haaland: 50%

He took two shots on goal, with one hitting the target. He also created a chance, but no one who started today’s game touched the ball fewer times (16).

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega-6.5/10: Made several crucial saves throughout the game. He was unlucky for the penalty after Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker gave away possession in such a dangerous area of the pitch.

Kyle Walker-3/10: Another poor display from Kyle Walker. He is making too many errors and it does appear that his play is affecting his teammates.

Manuel Akanji-5/10: Akanji toiled away but was guilty of giving away possession too often. He doesn’t look anywhere near fully fit.

Ruben Dias-6/10: It was good to see Dias back on the pitch. He tried to lift his team, but his error led to Liverpool’s second-half penalty. Having said that, he wasn’t poor, and his performance was one positive to take from the game.

Nathan Ake-7.5/10: Manchester City’s man-of-the-match in my opinion. Did all he could at left-back and made several crucial defensive interventions. Looks to be getting back to his best.

Rico Lewis-6/10: Can’t fault the work rate from Lewis who I thought put a shift in. It’s a shame that his more experienced teammates couldn’t match his effort.

Ilkay Gundogan-5/10: He was caught in possession too often in the first half like several of his teammates. Grew into the game after that but not his best performance.

Matheus Nunes-6.5/10: Nunes was probably City’s best player before he was substituted. Tracked back well but didn’t offer much of a threat in possession.

Bernardo Silva-4/10: A poor performance from Bernardo. He looked slow and gave away possession too often and too cheaply.

Phil Foden-4/10: A poor performance again from Foden. City needed him at his best and he couldn’t get into the game at all.

Erling Haaland-5/10: Haaland toiled away up front but he had no service at all to feed off of. A frustrating afternoon for City’s number 9.

Substitutes

Savinho-5/10: He didn’t feature prominently after coming on as most of City’s attacking play came down their left-hand side.

Jeremy Doku-6.5/10: The Belgian international became City’s most dangerous player after coming on. To his credit he tried to change the game.

Kevin De Bruyne-N/A: Had City’s best chance of game but saw his shot saved. The story for me is why didn’t De the Bruyne come on earlier.

Jack Grealish N/A: Not on long enough to mark. Although he did play a more central role so perhaps that is something for Pep Guardiola to explore.

Hmm... I thought our second half was interesting with Grealish in the middle. Thought Rico was good, despite a couple of times being out-muscled by Liverpool player. Seeing Doku back, that was good. Looked lively. Foden was a let down. No connection at all to Haaland. Bernie seems to be fading terribly. Nunes made a couple of mistakes, couldn't get pass TAA. Dias looks very fresh. Akanji doesn't look good at all. Walker, aiyayaya. His reactions are getting slower. He has the speed, but his reactions are awful.

This post has been edited by ps3 fanboy: Dec 2 2024, 10:25 AM

Goodbye title challenge?

pep plan to give it to liverpool

maybe the reason are player injured，intensive schedule，player a year older，lack of hunger ,pep refuse to change tactics

but i think the most important thing is pep buy another winger instead of defensive mildfield but who knows rodri and kovacic both injured

FA Cup third round draw

Manchester City vs Salford City

Ortega Moreno; Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Gundogan, De Bruyne ©, Bernardo; Doku, Haaland, Grealish.

Substitutes: Ederson, Carson, Lewis, Walker, Wright, O’Reilly, McAtee, Nunes, Savinho.