As Pep Guardiola left Old Trafford on Saturday evening, his side having suffered a second defeat in four days and sure to drop further away from Premier League leaders Arsenal, a million points of intrigue will have been swirling through his mind.
Having taken the lead on the hour through substitute Jack Grealish’s header, his side were on course to do the double on rivals Manchester United and put the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of their own derby the following day. But two goals inside four minutes from Bruno Fernandes and then Marcus Rashford - the former highly controversial - turned the tide and pulled the Reds to within a point of their cross-city foes.
The way in which Erik Ten Hag’s side managed to stifle Erling Haaland, even with Luke Shaw alongside Raphael Varane at the back, was concerning, but the Norwegian has 21 goals in the Premier League this season and looks on course to break nearly every record going - Saturday was an anomaly.
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The goal which lit the touchpaper inside Old Trafford saw Rashford, seemingly offside, make a motion towards the ball before leaving it to the onrushing Fernandes. Referee Stuart Atwell decided the United forward had not interfered with play. Both a strange decision and another anomaly.
But what has been a more regular occurrence this season, and what stood out for the entirety of the 90 minutes on Saturday, was the lack of penetrative runs made from wide positions that can unbalance a tight-knit and deep-lying defence.
Guardiola sanctioned the sale of three first-team players over the summer, with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchencko both heading to the Emirates while Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea. All three needed a guarantee of playing-time that simply cannot be provided at City, deciding a move away was the best option for all parties.
Jesus had been pivotal in supporting Sergio Aguero for the six seasons he was at the Etihad, and Txiki Begiristain not only ensured that a leading man - Haaland - was brought in, but that the club also added a young, energetic and exciting support act in the form of Julian Alvarez.
Zinchenko’s crucial inverted full-back role has since been filled by two players already at the club, Joao Cancelo continuing to drift into central spaces on the left while Rico Lewis does so with incredible ease on the right. Centre-backs John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji have all fulfilled a similar purpose at times as well.
But Sterling was never replaced. Having departed for Stamford Bridge in the middle of July, the 28-year-old’s decision left Guardiola and his scouting team with ample time to find a replacement, but that never arrived and City paid the price on Saturday.
During the 90 minutes at Old Trafford, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish completed one dribble and seven touches in the penalty area between them - according to match data from FBRef. No one in sky blue played a single successful through ball.
That is not to say that none of the above trio did their job on Saturday. The arrival of Haaland has seen Guardiola move his higher-risk players centrally, with Kevin De Bruyne and the Norwegian often the key to unlocking defences. But when both are managed by a compact and well-drilled side - as they were at the weekend - the space is wide, but the lack of spontaneity on the wings leaves play in front of the defence.
Against United, City’s wide men received the ball to feet, saw a sea of red and turned back. Neither Foden nor Grealish completed one progressive pass - one that travels at least 10 yards towards the opposition goal.
Guardiola needed a line-breaker: someone to repeatedly dart in behind a full-back, either latching on to through balls and turning the United back-line or opening up spaces on the corner of the penalty area by pulling defenders back with them. But since they sold Sterling, they simply do not have one.
For much of the season, they haven’t particularly needed it. Foden has been scintillating at times and Grealish, following the customary adjustment period that comes with joining City, is beginning to show why Guardiola was so keen on bringing him to the Etihad. Mahrez has also enjoyed a brilliant spell, with eight goals and two assists since October.
City are still very much in the title race and have Arsenal to play twice. They face RB Leipzig in the Champions League knockout stages next month and are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. In other words, they’re doing pretty well again.
But Saturday highlighted that something is missing. The result led to some bizarre claims that the presence of Haaland is the problem - one could argue it is in fact the absence of Sterling.
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