3 draws, 1 loss and conceded 9 goals, what happened to Manchester City?

With Rodri's three-game suspension, to be honest, in the face of the imposing Aston Villa, Manchester City did not seem to be surprised by the loss of points or even the loss. However, the game data that is difficult to look at directly, as well as the scene of being beaten passively throughout the whole process, still somewhat surprised city fans.

With two shots on goal, zero corners, two successful dribbles and 53.6 per cent possession, it's hard to imagine this being the game presented by last season's treble-winning side Guarda City. It's even harder to imagine that this wasn't an accidental loss. In previous seasons, City have had their share of short circuits, but then they swept away the gloom with a wave of winning streaks.

However, the complete defeat after three consecutive draws, Manchester City showed that they were powerless, not that they were scattered.

So what's going on with Manchester City this season?

To put it simply, Manchester City's dominance this season has slipped badly. Old city fans know that Manchester City's regular performance in recent seasons is to start with a small goal of 3-0 in the first half, and then look at the attitude of the opponent. Once the opponent has an idea, it is usually the rhythm of the tragedy.

However, this season, in addition to playing 5-1 and 6-1 against Fulham and Parkmouth, Manchester City has more of a small win with a one-goal difference, and even a rookie pecking game like 3-3 and 4-4.

In the key data, it is also obvious. Manchester City have conceded 17 goals in 15 league games this season, just one less than Manchester United, more than Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle, and have set a new record in the average number of goals per game.

The defeat to Aston Villa alone may be justified by Rodri's suspension, but in reality Manchester City exposed the problem as a whole, not a single individual.

So, what are the reasons for the decline in Manchester City's dominance? De Bruyne's injury, Gundogan's departure, Rodri's suspension?

This is indeed an obvious factor, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Rodri last season Manchester City's indispensable midfield iron triangle absent, directly led to a big reduction in the strength of Manchester City's midfield, which radiated to both the offensive and defensive ends.

But as a team that has been in contention for the Premier League and Champions League for a long time, you can't stop De Bruyne from getting old, you can't keep Gundogan from retiring, and you can't expect Rodri to not be bad.

So, whether it's the club or Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have really lost their way this season. At least not as calmly as when facing the departure of core teams such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany.

Three aspects of this season are worth reflecting on

First, there is no doubt that it is the transfer operation. The departure of Gundogan and Mahrez in the summer window can be said to be missing two key roles, Kovacic and Nunes, who were introduced in the opposite position, are currently not qualified to start, and although Doku played the starter, it was Grealish who squeezed out the position and did not make up for Mahrez's vacancy.

The weakening of the strength of the two key positions has triggered a chain reaction at the same time. Akanji and John Stones need to play as central midfielders, plus the departures of Joao Cancelo and Joan Laporta, and despite the heavy investment in Gvardiol, Manchester City's backline is not well stocked and lacks a regular left wing-back. Pep Guardiola has switched to a back three system, but the results are not satisfactory so far.

Doku failed to replace Riyad Mahrez, and Guardiola opted for Foden and B, who was honestly more valuable in the middle, and B, who had to be too involved in the transition between central and midfield. As a result, it is almost impossible for City to achieve a vision of two wings flying together.

Second, the crisis of rotation. On the surface, this is somewhat limited by the adverse impact of the transfer operation in the summer window, coupled with the wave of injuries. But in fact, Pep Guardiola was already criticized in this regard last season. De Bruyne's serious injury is not unrelated to the operation of the whole game of zero substitutions last season. Against Liverpool this season, Pep Guardiola still continued the commotion of 0 substitutions, and at present, Alvarez's sluggish performance seems to be a signal.

Third, Guardiola's decency. With a lack of creativity in midfield, a lack of consistency at the back, and a lack of purpose in attack, it can be said that the current Manchester City, which lack dominance, may be back on track after more run-ins and the return of injured players, but it is clear that this will not be achieved in the short term. Therefore, Guardiola can temporarily let go of the obsession with the pursuit of perfection, so as to maximize the value of Haaland according to the existing configuration, and adopt a steady anti-counterattack tactic, even if the scene is a little ugly, even if it is a little bit decent.

How to decide to defend the Triple Crown

Treble, especially Champions League and Premier League defending, is undoubtedly a set goal for Manchester City this season, but with problems emerging and results compromised, it seems time for Pep Guardiola to decide whether to keep the Champions League or the Premier League.

On the one hand, it is difficult to solve the personnel problem in several key positions of Manchester City in the short term. Although the winter window is an opportunity, the quality of the winter window has always been hard to come by, and it takes a lot of time for most players to integrate into Pep Guardiola's tactical system.

On the other hand, there are external factors, interference from the FA's 115 charges, warnings from referee Hooper's bizarre decision, and the chaos of the Premier League title race. All indicate that Manchester City wants to achieve four consecutive Premier League titles, which is almost the result of "the anger of people and gods".

Therefore, the goal of four consecutive Premier League titles is rationally reduced to fighting for four, so as to focus more on defending the Champions League, which is undoubtedly a choice that Guardiola can gravitate to.