Ederson
One of Manchester City’s standout stars from the treble win and a player whose contributions went somewhat under the radar, Ederson has continued his strong form this time around.
No major issues to report, City’s Brazilian shot-stopper has been as steady as ever and was rewarded for a stellar year recently, having been named The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper for 2023.
Grade: B+



Stefan Ortega
Back-up to Ederson, but a confident pair of hands when called upon. With a couple of Premier League appearances, Stefan Ortega remains one of the best – if not the outright best – number two goalkeeper in English football.
Grade: B


Scott Carson
He hasn’t played at all this season, but it’s Scott Carson, so it’s an automatic A.
Grade: A

This post has been edited by kjs86: Jan 24 2024, 06:39 PM

Manuel Akanji
A scapegoat at times, particularly among certain online circles, Manuel Akanji isn’t the most revered member of Manchester City’s backline, but he’s certainly one of the most dependable.
Maybe the standards have dropped in City’s defence this season, but it’s certainly not Akanji’s fault.
Grade: B

Nathan Ake
Another Mr. Reliable at the back, Nathan Ake’s minutes have been cut short at times due to arrivals elsewhere, but the piano-playing Dutchman remains a consistent performer when on the pitch.
Grade: B

Sergio Gomez
The dictionary definition of a squad player, with a bang average grade to match. Who knows if Sergio Gomez is a defender, midfielder or even winger? The Spaniard himself is probably left questioning just that at times.
Grade: C

Ruben Dias
Inconsistency more than anything else has plagued Ruben Dias’ start to 2023/24. Performances have ranged from imperious displays of defensive dominance, to shaky showings littered with uncharacteristic mistakes.
Still, Dias manages to snatch a B, just about.
Grade: B-

Kyle Walker
The much-maligned Kyle Walker, it has to be said. City’s new permanent captain has been in and out of the headlines, both for his on-field and off-field antics.
Credit in the bank after his strong start to the campaign is the only thing stopping this grade from being lower.
Grade: C

Josko Gvardiol
Another heavily criticised member of City’s defensive set-up, but as far as first half-seasons under Pep Guardiola go, Josko Gvardiol has impressed enough to justify a B.
Grade: B

Rico Lewis
Is he a defender, or is he a midfielder? Well, Rico Lewis is pretty much anything you want him to be. City’s teenage sensation from the treble season has continued his upwards trajectory this time around, continuing to shine whenever he’s on the field.
Grade: B+

John Stones
A poor attendance record is hampering John Stones here. Excelling when on the pitch, but unfortunately for City that hasn’t been often enough.
Grade: C

This post has been edited by kjs86: Jan 24 2024, 06:39 PM

Rodri
Teacher’s pet and understandably so, Rodri has once again enjoyed a wonderful start to the campaign. The only thing stopping City’s Spanish anchor from picking up perfect marks was his misbehaviour during September’s Nottingham Forest fixture.
Proof that everyone, including Rodri, is human afterall.
Grade: A

Kalvin Phillips
From one exemplary student, to one who will likely finish the term having been transferred out of class. It hasn’t worked out for Kalvin Phillips during his spell at City. Shame.
Grade: D

Mateo Kovacic
Wonderful start, rocky middle and a pretty steady end. That’s probably the best way to describe Mateo Kovacic’s first six months in a City shirt.
Given the relatively low-risk transfer fee City paid for his services, it’s hard to argue this has been a bad move (so far).
Grade: B

Matheus Nunes
Considerably more money than fellow summer arrival and midfield counterpart Kovacic, Matheus Nunes hasn’t seen the pitch as much as he’d probably have liked during the first half of the campaign, but that doesn’t take away from his contributions up until this point.
Word on the street is he’s impressing behind the scenes, so perhaps one to watch in the second half of the season.
Grade: B-

Bernardo Silva
There’s a reason City have done so much to keep Bernardo Silva at the club in the last couple of summers, despite the Portuguese midfielder’s desire to explore alterative options elsewhere.
It will be a sad day when he does leave the Blues, that’s for sure.
Grade: A

Kevin De Bruyne
You know those classmates who never revise, but still pass every test regardless? Yeah, that’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Based purely on the (admittedly very few) minutes we’ve seen him play this season, it’s a deserved A grade for City’s King Kev.
Grade: A

Jack Grealish
It’s felt like Jack Grealish has been suffering from a hangover (no, not that kind) this season. So influential during City’s successful 2022/23 treble win, the England forward hasn’t quite captured that same brilliance this time around.
Hampered by injury and illness, it’s a solid B grade for Grealish.
Grade: B

Jeremy Doku
Blink and you’ll miss him. That’s been Jeremy Doku at times this season, with the new arrival having enjoyed a lights-out start to his City career.
being said, there have been moments of rawness at times, meaning Doku’s half-season grade is capped where it is.
Grade: B

Phil Foden
And finally, best in class. It felt like Phil Foden needed a ‘big’ season at the beginning of the campaign, but few could’ve predicted the impact he’s had so far.
Granted, he’s another player to have benefitted from absences elsewhere in the squad, but Foden has certainly taken his chance, establishing himself as one of City’s ‘undroppable’ players.
Who knows what 2024 holds for the Stockport Iniesta? But if it’s anything like the second half of 2023, it will no doubt be special.
Grade: A+

This post has been edited by kjs86: Jan 24 2024, 06:38 PM

Julian Alvarez
If City win anything of note this season, it will be – in part – down to Julian Alvarez’s contributions in the first half of the campaign. The selfless Argentine has featured heavily for City so far, often out of position too.
From deputising for De Bruyne during his injury layoff, to more recently being deployed as the out-and-out centre-forward, Alvarez has once again proved himself to Guardiola.
Grade: A

Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland, remember him? Even though the Norweigan has only been missing for around a month or so, given City have played eight matches, fallen out of the title race, worked their way back into it and even won another piece of silverware in that time, it feels like Haaland has been missing forever.
From the 20 or so games he has plyed this season, Haaland has been his usual goal-scoring best.
Grade: B+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FICI0PhT6c4

why pep change tactic this season?

This post has been edited by kjs86: Jan 25 2024, 09:42 AM

Ortega Moreno, Walker ©, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, Bobb, Alvarez.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 8

Displayed Ederson-like confidence when playing from the back, and did the conventional side of his job when necessary too.

Kyle Walker – 7.5

Had one or two lapses in concentration when the ball was on the other side of the field, but was largely better on the ball than he has been of late and proved his worth with excellent defending late on against Timo Werner.

Ruben Dias – 7.5

Really active in his defensive work, getting a head or a toe to any loose ball which required his attention and grappling hard with Richarlison.

Nathan Ake – 8 (MOTM)

Sprayed the ball out from the back confidently and used his pace to cover to good effect. Was on hand to prod home the winner.

Josko Gvardiol – 7.5

Continued his trend this season of looking a little suspect in wide one-on-ones, but excelling with his incisive passing in advanced zones. This guy is a centre-back.

Rodri – 7.5

Didn’t seem to have his usual knack for perfect positioning, often just missing an interception on the stretch. Had no problems with his always-exceptional ball-playing.

Mateo Kovacic – 7.5

Struggled a little with the defensive side of the game but his driving runs through the midfield were a joy to watch.

Bernardo Silva – 8

Vital to the structure of the team by stepping inside from the right wing to make space for Walker on the flank, and never stopped running through

Phil Foden – 8

Operated tantalisingly between the lines again. Not everything he tried came off, but some of his play was just so stylish.

Oscar Bobb – 6.5

Looked lively in the opening stages and was very unlucky to have a goal just ruled out for offside, but he faded as it went on and was withdrawn just after the hour.

Julian Alvarez – 7

Dropped into deep positions and linked play quite nicely, despite not offering much of a direct threat prior to his substitution.

Substitutes

Kevin de Bruyne – 6

Never quite found his radar and missed that clear opening. Did force the goal with his corner.

Jeremy Doku – 6

Ran dangerously at the Spurs backline but couldn’t make anything of his scenarios.

GK: Stefan Ortega - 6/10 - Didn't have too much to do in way of shot-stopping but was quick off his line.

RB: Kyle Walker - 7/10 - Like Van de Ven was able to use his extraordinary quickness to cover ground and plug defensive gaps.

CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - Monstrous in his silencing of Richarlison. Hardly troubled at all.

CB: Nathan Ake - 8/10 - Excellent in both boxes and that proved to be the difference on the night.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Guardiola was barking instructions at the Croatian all night, seemingly annoyed at his positioning and lack of bite.

DM: Rodri - 7/10 - Makes football look so, so easy. Riled up every now and then but fought well for his side.

CM: Bernardo Silva - 6/10 - Somehow got away with several cynical fouls. Excellent in spurts but couldn't take the game by the scruff of the neck on his own.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - 7/10 - Came alive whenever there was a lull, bursting through midfield with trademark majesty.

RW: Phil Foden - 5/10 - Faded into the background and it was hard to tell he was on the pitch at some points.

CF: Julian Alvarez - 5/10 - Twice guilty of missing opportunities at point-blank range. Replaced by De Bruyne midway through the second half.

LW: Oscar Bobb - 6/10 - Man City's liveliest attacker in his 65 minutes but the bar wasn't considerably high. Got in the right areas but wasn't always picked out.

Substitutes

SUB: Jeremy Doku (65' for Bobb) - 6/10

SUB: Kevin De Bruyne (65' for Alvarez) - 7/10

Ortega: Distribution under pressure was excellent all evening, even if he didn't have many actual saves to make. 7

Walker: Seemed to enjoy himself in plenty of space on the right-hand side as Silva tucked inside, although couldn't produce too much. 6

Dias: Some important blocks but also some less sensible defending that gave up free-kicks, with another booking earned. 6

Ake: Unfazed by anything that came his way, tidying up at the back and turning his team around. Then scored the winner! 8

Gvardiol: Another curious outing on the left, linking well with Foden and Bobb without threatening to be threatening himself. 6

Rodri: Seems to be forever on tilt with the referees and wasn't as good as at Newcastle, but still City's heartbeat. 7

Kovacic: Comfortably looked the best City performer, cruising through midfield and taking Tottenham players out of the game. 8

Foden: Shrugged off the ball too easily in the first half, although did well to rob Hojberg for what should have been a De Bruyne goal. 7

Silva: One of those performances where he just popped up everywhere there appeared to be trouble, helping City to avoid being exposed at the back. 7


Bobb: Almost a dream start with the early goal ruled out. Some quiet spells but also played some incisive balls into the box. 7

Alvarez: A nuisance for Tottenham's defence and midfield to keep quiet, although as the goal gaped in the second half he will have felt a goal was there. 6

Doku (for Bobb, 65) Guardiola wanted more energy from him and he then drew a good save from Vicario. 6

De Bruyne (for Alvarez, 65) A glaring miss but did swing the corner in for the winner. 6

Stefan Ortega - 7

Never appears flustered when deputising for Ederson. Swept up behind the back four nicely.

Kyle Walker – 6.5

Looked like getting plenty of joy high up in the opening exchanges. One incredible late piece of defending against Werner.

Ruben Dias - 6

Played it safe, aware of the pace Spurs had at their disposal when pressing. Flustered in the second half.

Nathan Ake - 8

A couple of eye-catching recovery runs showed why he is so important for Pep Guardiola – and then popped up with the winner.

Josko Gvardiol – 5.5

Still learning on the job at left back, with Guardiola again a little agitated at the Croatian’s positioning on occasion.

Rodri – 6.5

Becoming increasingly annoyed at officials and that was the case again. Broke up the game as you’d expect.

Mateo Kovacic – 7.5

Arguably his best game in a City shirt. More progressive in possession and drove forward with purpose.

Bernardo Silva – 6.5

Wasn’t knitting City together quite as easily as normal. A rare off night for the Portuguese.

Phil Foden - 7

Constantly seemed like he would be the one to decide this tie but nothing really dropped for him.

Oscar Bobb - 7

Some moments of real class, especially when around the box. The youngster continues to impress.

Julian Alvarez – 5.5

Just doesn’t have the same killer instinct of Erling Haaland. Linked play well but lacked in front of goal.

Subs

Kevin De Bruyne (for Alvarez, 65) – 6.5

Jeremy Doku (for Bobb, 65) - 6

Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Nunes, Foden, De Bruyne, Doku, Alvarez

Player Ratings

Ederson – 7

The Brazilian was not called on much, and maybe could have done better for the late Burnley goal. But overall, it was far from a poor performance.

Rico Lewis – 7

A typical Rico Lewis match: drew a few fouls and was smooth on the ball.

John Stones – 7.5

Solid performance in his first match in over a month. Was not needed in the midfield due to Rico Lewis.

Nathan Ake – 7.5

Mistake-free football and good distribution. In other words, what you expect from Nathan Ake.

Josko Gvardiol – 8

Phenomenal on the ball as always, and stepped up defensively as well until the closing moments. Excited to see when Pep Guardiola lets him try out the ‘John Stones role’.

Rodri – 8.5

Had the most touches in the game, was vital in switching play and scored another absolutely beautiful goal. Seems to be back on track after some shaky performances during the winter period.

Matheus Nunes – 8

Don’t know how often he’s going to get minutes this season, but his ability to carry the ball forward os so far above and beyond any of the other central midfielders in the squad. Special player.

Phil Foden – 7.5

Was a quiet night at times, but he set up the first goal and assisted the second. Hope we can see him play centrally alongside Kevin De Bruyne soon.

Kevin De Bruyne – 8.5

So much for all that talk about Kevin De Bruyne needing time to get up to speed after an injury, right? Has been world class since the moment he came out against Newcastle. Doesn’t even seem to have lost a bit of pace either considering the injury.

Jeremy Doku – 8

Was an absolute menace all night. Vitinho looked helpless trying to mark him, still needs to improve his decision making with the final ball but that will come in time.

Julian Alvarez – 8.5 (MOTM)

Hasn’t had the best service at times this season but took full advantage of the two chances created for him in the first half. Was solid in the build-up as well.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Feb 1 2024, 09:25 AM

Player Ratings

Ederson:6

Could have joined the fans in the stand for most of the night, before conceding a late goal to wipe out the clean sheet.

Lewis: 7

Enjoyed a rare league start at right-back and showed how comfortable he is all over the pitch as he pushed up to help the attack.

Stones: 7

His first start since getting injured at Everton and there were no dramas, even if he didn't venture forward as often as he can.

Ake: 7

Say it quietly but is Ake the best defender at City now? Another performance without a foot wrong as he kept Burnley at bay.

Gvardiol: 5

Didn't manage to get forward as well as he has done previously this season, and done for the late Burnley goal.

Rodri: 8

Cruised through the day, happy to sit back and let others run the game but also picked his moment to score.

Nunes: 8

Every decision that he makes can still seems like a lottery but his performance was a nice bonus as he careered through the Burnley lines.

De Bruyne: 7

A clever free-kick to tee up Alvarez for his second and more than 70 minutes on his first start back.

Foden:7

Less involved from a wider position but still worked hard to cut inside and provided Rodri with the third goal.

Doku: 6

Always enjoyable when he beats his man, although some of his decision-making in the final third let him down.

Alvarez:8

Two timely goals to remind what he can offer to the team, a nice treat on his 24th birthday.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Feb 1 2024, 09:25 AM

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 6/10 - Mostly a spectator.

CB: John Stones - 6/10 - Comfortable as you like.

CB: Nathan Ake - 6/10 - Had one hairy moment at the back but wasn't punished for it.

CB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Able to often get forward, although his shooting radar wasn't tuned. Too easily beaten on the late goal conceded.

CM: Rico Lewis - 7/10 - Made it difficult for Burnley to get things going by breaking up play.

CM: Rodri - 7/10 - Polished as usual and with a fine goal to boot.

RM: Phil Foden - 8/10 - Helped create the opening goal and then directly assisted the third.

AM: Kevin De Bruyne © - 7/10 - Feeling his way back into the swing of things and this was a comfortable way to do it and get an assist.

AM: Matheus Nunes - 6/10 - Frequently involved in attacking play. Faded a bit.

LM: Jeremy Doku - 7/10 - His pace was a good outlet to stretch Burnley in a different way.

ST: Julian Alvarez - 8/10 - Celebrated his 24th birthday with an early brace.

Pep Guardiola - 8/10 - Exactly as he would have wanted, with a comfortable score-line allowing him to withdraw De Bruyne and put Haaland on.

Player Ratings


Ederson-7/10:

Rarely called into action but will disappointed to not keep a clean sheet. His delivery was spectacular at times as always.

Rico Lewis-6.5/10:

Gave away possession on occasions but did his job.

John Stones-7/10:

A welcome return for Stones. Got through the full game and put in a good shift.

Nathan Ake-7/10:

Typical Ake display. Did his job with minimal fuss as he always does.

Josko Gvardiol-7/10:

Another good performance from the Croatian. Needs to work on his end product but is becoming a crucial player for Pep Guardiola.

Rodri-8/10:

Added another quality strike to his catalogue. Dominated midfield in a quality display before being substituted.

Matheus Nunes-8.5/10:

His best game in a City shirt. Provided the opener and his drive from midfield was a standout feature of City’s win. Could become a crucial player as the season progresses.

Phil Foden-7.5/10:

A fantastic assist to set up Rodri’s goal and City’s third. Playing on the right wing his quality was on display in another polished performance.

Kevin De Bruyne-8/10:

A superb performance from De Bruyne in his first start since his return. One superb assist and his quality was obvious before he was substituted.

Jeremy Doku-7/10:

Showed flashes of brilliance and flashes of frustration during the game. Did trackback well which showed his game is developing.

Julian Alvarez-8/10:

Scored a brace and put in an energetic performance. The Argentine is a world-class performer and showed it tonight.

Substitutes
Erling Haaland-6/10:

Got a massive ovation when he came on. Looked rusty and will need games to get his touch back.

Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodri, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Silva, Foden, Haaland.

1-1

2-1 foden

Hat-trick!!

Player Ratings

Ederson – 4

Poor decision-making and passing today. Wouldn’t expect him to save Maupay’s goal.

Kyle Walker © – 7

Did well defensively and helped contribute to the attack. Nearly scored from range in the first-half.

Ruben Dias – 7

Been solid when called upon. Great block to deny Norgaard’s effort.

Nathan Ake – 6

Was held off too easily for Maupay’s goal but played well since.

Josko Gvardiol – 6

Had a few shots on goal and created chances. Defended well.

Rodri – 7

Mr Reliable. Helped to break up the Brentford attacks and moved the ball quickly.

Bernardo Silva – 5

Didn’t really impact the game from the right and was fairly quiet.

Kevin De Bruyne – 7

Was always looking to create chances and play the killer ball, lovely assist for Foden’s second.

Phil Foden – 10

Helped move the ball around the Brentford penalty area and was quick to react for his first goal. Good movement and header for his second. Lovely finish for the hat-trick.

Julian Alvarez – 6

Early efforts threatened Brentford’s goal but was fairly quiet after that.

Erling Haaland – 6

Failed to score from his only chance but managed to assist Foden’s third goal.

Substitutes:

Jeremy Doku – 6

Always dynamic but his crosses never came to anything.

Mateo Kovacic – 6

Helped control possession in the final minutes of the game and ensure the victory.