Premier League midseason report card: Manchester City
Manchester City are in a title race at the midway point in the season. What grade did they get for their performances in the first half of the season?
The Good
Manchester City were the best team in England by a record-breaking mile last season. Pep Guardiola’s side were absolutely unplayable as they won both the Carabao Cup and Premier League. This season they’ve continued that great form as they’ve progressed in all competitions while looking like potential winners in each of them.
The Light Blues went 15 games unbeaten and although they’ve since lost to Chelsea, they still have a great chance of retaining their title. They’re only a point behind leaders Liverpool and it could be argued that their squad has more potential to go the distance than the Reds’.
Guardiola’s side have also advanced to the next round of the Champions League as well as the semifinals of the Carabao Cup. In those competitions, they’ve got very winnable matches against Burton Albion and Schalke. There are no guarantees in those ties but Manchester City have a great chance of progressing to the next rounds of each competition.
City have come a long way from their early days as a power-club — where they won trophies but still didn’t have that big club feeling. Now they are one of the best in Europe and this season they need to prove it by making the Champions League final. They topped their group and many people think that they can go all the way this season.
The fact that Manchester City have carried on their great form from last season is perhaps the biggest compliment for Pep Guardiola. Improving on near-perfection is difficult and City have looked just as good this season. If they can keep this kind of form up then there’s no reason why the Light Blues can’t have a long run in all competitions.
A special mention needs to go to two Manchester City players — Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling. Sterling and Silva have been absolutely brilliant this season and at times they’ve been the game-changers for their side. City fans will pray that both of those players stay fit for the entirety of the season.
The Bad
Manchester City have little to be worried about at the midway point of the season. Their only real cause for concern would be some relatively average performances in the Champions League. A loss and draw with Lyon showed Europe that City are beatable and the Light Blues also struggled away against Hoffenheim.
Now that Manchester City are one of the best sides in Europe they need to be more dominant in the Champions League. They have won their group and it’s more than likely that they’ll beat Schalke over two legs. Teams in the Champions League show City less respect than in domestic matches and Guardiola needs to plan appropriately for this.
If Guardiola doesn’t then Manchester City fans could experience more Champions League disappointment this season.
What’s Next?
Manchester City can win every competition they’re involved in. They have a fantastic team and squad that can take them to the latter stages of every competition. They should beat Burton Albion to reach the Carabao Cup final and although Schalke may pose a threat, City should also advance to the quarters of the Champions League.
The Light Blues also have an FA Cup tie against Rotheram which should be an easy win. It’s likely that City and Liverpool will continue to lock horns in the title race but the Manchester side’s squad perhaps has more potential to go the distance than Liverpool’s does.
The Grade: B+
Manchester City are by no means under-performing but as they’re not ahead in the title race we’ve taken them down a letter grade.