Four games into the new season there are few things that could be going better for Manchester City on their quest to reclaim the Premier League crown.
The Sky Blues are playing some amazing football and comfortably sit top of the table after taking maximum points from their opening four encounters and are also yet to concede a goal. They have spent rather extravagantly in the transfer market, but seem to have done better with their business than any other team in the league.
First four games
West Brom 0 Manchester City 3
City went to West Brom on the opening weekend and came away with all three points while also scoring three. The Baggies were left helpless against a ruthless attacking side and could not muster any serious threats to Joe Hart’s goal. The pressure was piled on West Brom right from the get-go and the Sky Blues came away with the result they deserved.
Manchester City 3 Chelsea 0
Their second encounter saw Eastlands welcome reining champions Chelsea in what was nothing near to a close encounter. Pellegrini’s men ran away with all three points and made the title holders look like school boys on the day. The City attackers showed no respite to Chelsea’s shaky defence and for the second successive week, grabbed a 3-0 victory.
Everton 0 Manchester City 2
The Sky Blues headed then to Merseyside to take on Everton, in what proved to be their toughest test so far. While the Toffees penetrated the City defence on a few occasions, they struggled to finish-off their chances. At the other end City did not hesitate at all to make the most of their opportunities and the game concluded with a comfortable 2-0 win for the away side.
Manchester City 2 Watford 0
City’s most recent fixture was at home to newly-promoted Watford. Pellegrini’s team were clear favourites for the encounter and they provided no surprises at all. The Canaries were on the back foot for most of the match and struggled to make any real impact on the game. Raheem Sterling grabbed his first professional goal for his new side in yet another relatively straightforward 2-0 victory.
Transfer window performance
They say money cannot buy success but that certainly does not seem to be the case in football. City were England’s top spenders in this window, after having parted ways with over £150 million to secure the services of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Otamendi, Fabian Delph and Patrick Roberts. While the bank was broken, the money has actually spent very wisely. Rather than just adding numbers, they have chosen to bring in quality talent to strengthen those areas which showed weaknesses last season. Otamendi is a top centre-back and is a vital addition to a position where City clearly struggled, Fabian Delph was brought in to sure up the midfield and was essentially a replacement for the departed Frank Lampard. The talent of Sterling and De Bruyne adds immense quality to an already brilliant squad.
City have also seen a few big names depart the Etihad this transfer window though. Strikers Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic have left for Italy on supposed loan deals, while James Milner, Micah Richards and Lampard have found new homes upon their contracts expiring. Alvaro Negredo, Matija Nastasic, Scott Sinclair and Dedryck Boyata were the other notable players to depart.
Key Player
All of City’s players have been top notch so far and it is hard to single out a bad individual performance. But one in particular has been outstanding, not only for the Sky Blues but also in terms of the whole of the Premier League. Of course this is David Silva, who has been on fire since 2015-16 kicked-off. No opponent so far has been able to cope with the Spanish maestro, who already has four assists to his name.
It would be criminal to only judge Silva on his goals and assists though, with much of his work in City’s build-up play going largely unnoticed. He has managed to make some of the league’s best defensive-midfielders such as Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, James McCarthy and Gareth Barry look rather silly, continuously finding those pockets behind the strikers and providing quality service. An absolute magician on the ball, Silva possesses the control, skill, pace and supreme vision to be one of the best attacking-midfielders in the Premier League, if not the world.
He has been and will continue to be the link to almost every one of City’s attacks. The Sky Blues will be hopeful that the Spaniard remains fit and continues to perform at the current level.
What has gone right?
It seems that City simply cannot put a foot wrong at the moment. Four games in and they sit comfortably top of the table with maximum points, 10 goals to their name, the defence yet to concede and the scary part is that they do not look like slowing down at all. They have been more than excellent with their business in the transfer market this season, strengthening in all areas of the pitch. Unlike other English clubs, they have no off-the-field issues surrounding the squad and morale could not be any higher at the Etihad. There no serious injury worries for the Citizens yet and all of their players look ready for any challenge that stands in their way.
Where to improve?
With the Sky Blues enjoying such a fantastic start to the season, it is hard to identify any areas that need improvement. They might be wary of the fact if either Sergio Aguero or Wilfried Bony are to be injured for a long period, there is not a reliable option for Pellegrini to turn towards. Academy graduates Kelechi Iheanacho and Jose Pozo are an option, but are still unproven in the Premier League and even though Sterling can operate in the striker’s position, the manager will prefer to keep him on the wings.
The Chilean will be hopeful that his strikers, especially Aguero, can stay fit for as long as possible. The departures of Dzeko and Jovetic could come back to haunt the club, but for now it is all smooth sailing for the blue half of Manchester.
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Next four games
City will face a serious challenge in their upcoming fixtures which begin with a trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace. The Eagles have gained a reputation to be giant killers in the recent past and have already beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this season. Palace fans will not want to forget the fact that they also beat the Sky Blues in the same fixture in 2014-15. Following the trip to London, City host West Ham in another tough game, considering the fact that the Hammers have beaten Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates and Anfield respectively.
The next two fixtures include a tough away trip to White Hart Lane to face a yet to be beaten Tottenham Hotspur, followed by a home game against a determined Newcastle side.
Between these four league fixtures, City will also face Juventus and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League, along with a Capital One fixture away to Dick Advocaat’s Sunderland. Overall it will prove to be a trying month, but they certainly have the capabilities to overcome this challenge.
City have it all going their way so far but with trying times ahead, they must focus, work hard and continue to play the way they are. Manuel Pellegrini will do well to make sure that they keep fighting on.
Grade – A+
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