Gvardiol has been one of City’s few standout players this season, and they’ll almost surely need his drive again against Spurs. — Reuters
THE two Manchester clubs are sixes and sevens in the Premier League, and this weekend face opposition that could well leave them with their wounds further torn open.
Pep Guardiola’s crumbling Man City host Newcastle United today, while 13th placed Man United visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London tomorrow.
In both instances, the wealthier sides from northwest England will be hell-bent on emerging with victory, if only to appease their supporters and bring some semblance of sanity and respectability to their standings.
It’s been a season that’s left both hurt by poor form and off-field distractions that have adversely impacted their ability to contend for the league title.
In the case of Man City, the pain must surely be greater than their crosstown neighbours.
Guardiola and his supremely gifted squad were chasing a fifth successive league title.
But that dream has evaporated and left the Citizens to attempt salvaging their campaign by bringing in reinforcements in the January transfer window.
They spent some £180mil (RM1bil) including to secure the services of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for £62mil (RM346mil), Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto for £50mil (RM279mil) and Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens for £33mil (RM184mil).
Vitor Reis also moved to the Etihad from Palmeiras, and Juma Bah came from Real Valladolid.
Thus far the quintet has yet to make any inroads in alleviating the plight of a side that was again so articulately dismembered by Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Leading with less than five minutes to go in the first leg of the playoff at the Etihad, City somehow collapsed as the Spanish giants scored twice for another famous 3-2 victory.
Newcastle, who prepared for tomorrow’s top billing without a fixture this week, will have taken note of City’s capitulation and worked out that Guardiola’s side has become prone to tiring towards the end – just like what Real did, and a few others who have figured out City this season.
But amidst all the doom and gloom at the Etihad, Croatian left-back Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland have been beacons of inspiration.
They will be expected to continue in their efforts to lift the spirits of the club and turn around its fortunes.
A similar scenario is being choreographed at Man United, where Ruben Amorim is struggling desperately to come to terms with leading the Old Trafford side out of the bottom half of the table.
Brought in last November with a task of reviving the stature of the fourth richest football club in the world, Amorim himself has been all over the place.
He has battled to get any meaningful structure to their play and might yet suffer again at the hands of the team that pipped them 4-3 in the reverse fixture in December.
The thing about Spurs is that while they can attack so elegantly and assure their faithful of goals scored, they also have this knack of leaking goals.
They now find themselves with a burgeoning reputation of being an erratic side that we know can play lovely football.
But that alone might not be enough to save them tomorrow – something that could be said of Newcastle too.
Hence, despite all their distractions and criticisms, some do believe that Man City and Man United will win this weekend.
