3 players to blame for Manchester City's four-game losing streak

With their recent loss to Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester City have lost four games in a row, in all competitions, for the first time since 2006. For manager Pep Guardiola, it is the first time that the Spaniard has lost four games in a row throughout his entire career. As such, it is understandable that the word “crisis” has been associated with a scarily uncharacteristic run of poor form for Manchester City.

First came a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup, with City exiting the competition at the round of 16 stage. Following their loss in London, the Sky Blues traveled further south to Bournemouth as they returned to Premier League action, where they were beaten by the same scoreline.

Guardiola’s side looked to restore their form in Europe when they journeyed to Lisbon to face Sporting in one of former manager Ruben Amorim’s final games in charge of the club. Despite taking an early lead, City were ultimately well and truly beaten by a 4-1 scoreline. Just days later, away at Brighton, they were defeated 2-1 once again.

This is unchartered territory for City and Guardiola and the overwhelming presumption is that, as injuries lessen for the Manchester side, they will find their form once again. But with such a rare instance of a losing run, it is worth asking just which players have been most at fault on this poor stretch of form?

3. Jermai Simpson-Pusey

Now, it feels unfair to rank an academy lad who has been called up, most likely, before Guardiola had planned, within this list. If anything, Simpson-Pusey’s inclusion here is not an attack on the young defender’s form, which has not at all been terrible, but more as a representation of the defenders that Manchester City are currently missing.

They have been struck hard by injuries, particularly within their backline. Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Ruben Dias, to name some examples, have already missed periods of game time this season, which has forced Guardiola to rely on his youthful reserves in order to make up for their absence.

While Simpson-Pusey has shown promise in the minutes he has played, his inclusion in the Manchester City team is a clear indication that they are struggling for defensive depth which, as a wider issue, has contributed to this recent poor run of form. 

The assumption that City’s form will improve when those that are currently injured return to action is a fair one, given that will more than likely be the case. It would not be the first time that they drastically improved their form within the second half of a season. As it stands, however, Manchester City could potentially lose five straight games when domestic football resumes after the international break, a feat that they surely do not want to attain.

2. Kevin de Bruyne

Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who has spent almost a decade with Manchester City, is one of the club’s and Premier League’s greatest-ever midfielders. As he has aged, however, he has faced his struggles with injury, and this season has been no different, with de Bruyne having missed around two months between September and November.

He has been gradually eased back into the team, spending the full 90 minutes of City’s loss to Bournemouth on the bench and being brought on as a substitute in both the match against Sporting and the match against Brighton.

The midfielder has an undeniable quality to his game but has not looked quite the same as he did prior to his enforced layoff. This is natural and to be expected of a player that is returning from injury, but it would be hard to argue that de Bruyne being off the pace has done anything but hinder City.

Perhaps, in an ideal world, de Bruyne would have been brought back later, after he had truly recovered from the injury that was hampering him. Due to injuries elsewhere on the pitch, however, it has been crucial that de Bruyne returns and as such, he has perhaps come back to action before being truly ready.

1. Rodri

A player whose absence has been a direct contribution to his team’s poor run of form rather than it having anything to do with his presence, the latest Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has risen to a position of crucial importance within Guardiola’s City side, the defensive midfielder often operating as a sole pivot and being integral to his team’s successes.

In the past, there has been evidence that Manchester City generally struggle when Rodri is not on the pitch, though he has been a consistently dependable player throughout his career, both with City and overall. So, when earlier this year he went down with an ACL injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season, many began to wonder what it would mean for City’s form.

The only teams City have beaten in the Premier League without Rodri this season are Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton, the latter two having been placed 20th when the Sky Blues played them in games that they only won by a one-goal margin. City badly miss the stability that Rodri offers them when he is playing in midfield and it is something that Guardiola desperately needs to find a solution for.

City’s move for Kalvin Phillips has not worked out, the former Leeds midfielder now playing for Ipswich Town on loan. Matheus Nunes, formerly of Wolves, is still working on finding a consistent place in the team. Whatever the option that City chooses to go for is, they need to be sure that it compensates even slightly for Rodri’s enforced absence.