The last two months of each season are big moments for Jack Graalish, but there's nothing that doesn't prepare him for such a test. Previously, he had experienced relegation on loan to Notts County, then Aston Villa, who accompanied the team for three years before re-qualifying from the Championship. But at Manchester City, it will be a whole new experience – here the battle for the biggest trophy will continue until the final day of the season. And this season will be even more unusual than most: with Liverpool soaring in the Premier League, Klopp's side will speak directly to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals, while the Blue Moon will also face Atletico Madrid in the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League, with little room for error.
Guardiola needs every player in his team to be at the top of the game, they need to challenge any trophy, not to mention these three, they need to be close to perfection. This could be a daunting prospect for Gralis. Glalish joined blue moons last summer with a record £100 million for a British transfer and is still struggling to gain a foothold at the Etihad Stadium. But it also reminds us why he wants to join a club that satisfies his ambitions, from villa, which he loved as a teenager. Gralis has won runner-up medals in the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup, and now it's time to make himself a winner.
"It was a brilliant moment in my position," he said after impressing England's 3-0 win over Ivory Coast in midweek, "we still played a lot of games, but at the end of the year we will have the World Cup." "The two-week international season suspends the domestic season, giving everyone time to catch their breath before what will be the relentless final weeks. That includes Gralis, who played easily at Wembley, assisted with Sterling's goal and teased Orier to earn him a ridiculous red card. Although Guardiola told him to forget all the statistics and stressed his importance to the team, he admitted to being anxious about his low returns on goals and assists.
A key indicator of Guardiola's support for him is that despite several injuries and the squad is full of strength, the 26-year-old has started nearly two-thirds of City's Champions League and Premier League matches. "I've talked to Guardiola," he said. "In addition to goals and assists, he showed me all the statistics in the world that you would be happy with. He's the only guy I need to impress, but if you're a striker, you want goals and assists, so hopefully I can score and assist at the end of the season. "Of course, goals and assists can win games and Guardiola needs everyone to contribute in crucial games. Ahead of the FA Cup 4-1 win over Southampton, Manchester City drew back-to-back with Sport of Portugal and Crystal Palace, which made people uneasy about City's ability to score goals without a proper striker and under high pressure.
Liverpool are one of the few teams to rival Manchester City on the upcoming Devils fixtures and they need to take their chances. But for a team like Guardiola that is pushing high, a team that shrinks deeply, is under pressure and fights back. Diego Simeone's Atletico are experts in this area, which is why the Champions League draw is so dangerous. But before that game, City must maintain their lead in the Premier League, first of all they will face Burnley under relegation pressure, which may be a warm-up for the Champions League knockout stages.
"Bernley of Spain" became a hot topic on the Internet when Atletico beat Manchester United in the last round. While the word is clearly an insult to the Spanish team, it reflects a common view of trying to thwart opponents and play to your defensive advantage. Of course, after Atletico's victory over Liverpool in 2020, Burnley manager Sean Decker has no problem comparing. "Simeone is very good at doing his job and doesn't hesitate to do that," he said. "I don't know about Burnley in Spain — I think he's been doing it longer than I have. People forget that goalkeepers can play well, defenders can, they can steal and change the game. They can go and score goals. ”
With four points left on the safety line, any point against Manchester City is invaluable for Burnley's relegation hopes, whose first priority is to stop the away threat. That's why Guardiola's attack will be so important, de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Sterling and Mahrez need to step up in these tight games. But he doesn't care who scores and who assists. De Bruyne often leads the assists list, and the Belgian usually creates goals by providing deadly passes.
Mahrez and Sterling can create space for the movement of other attacking players by repeatedly hitting the opponent's defender line. Similarly, Foden and Silva are both false No. 9 positions that can pull the centre-back away from the area where others can access. There's plenty of room here to show off his individual skill, and Glalish has the ability to dominate the game, which could change the way people think about his first season. But in the coming months, any success for City will be based on belief in Guardiola's attacking philosophy, which will require everyone, including Glalis, to play their part.