Manchester City’s Slump Explained: New Tricks Up Front, Same Leaks At The Back
Manchester City spent the summer adding midfield silk and attacking spark. The big headache last season was not chance creation, it was defending space, set pieces, and transition moments. Fast forward to now and the pattern looks painfully familiar. The shirts are new, the storyline is not.
Let’s see why Manchester City is still struggling despite good transfer window:
1) Rest defense is shaky, so transitions are killing them
City still want to attack with five and sometimes six. That only works when the “rest defense” behind the ball locks the door. Too often the back line and the two screeners are not aligned. Distances are too big, the fullback who inverts leaves grass behind him, and one turnover becomes a foot race. Brighton’s late winner was a classic example of a stretched shape that could not reset in time once legs were heavy.
What it looks like on the pitch
Opponents bait the press, go one pass around the corner, then run at a disorganized backpedal. The center backs get dragged wide to cover fullback space, which opens the channel between them. Recovery runs are reactive rather than proactive, so clever cut-backs are on.
2) The first line of pressure is a beat slow
City’s press is usually a metronome. Right now it feels like a jazz solo without the rhythm section. The trigger is late, the second man is not close enough, and the third man is still thinking about his starting position. That half second is giving opponents time to find the free 8 or fullback, which starts the domino run.
Tell-tale signs
The striker jumps but the midfield stays flat, so one vertical pass breaks two lines. Wingers are slow to lock the far fullback, which flips the play too easily. Rodri has to step out to put out fires, leaving a highway behind him.
3) Personnel churn and early-season rust
Pep said it himself. New faces need rhythm and references. Rayan Cherki being out for two months removes a creator who would have helped City control games by keeping the ball high up the pitch. Abdukodir Khusanov going off against Brighton removed recovery pace on the cover line. Layer that on top of players building fitness and you get concentration slips that look like “kids’ mistakes,” as Rodri put it.
4) Box defending is not ruthless enough
This is not just about the high line. Inside the area, City are letting crosses bounce, losing the first contact from wide free kicks, and failing to own the second ball. The best City versions smothered the box. Right now they are letting situations live too long. James Milner’s equaliser from the spot came because Brighton kept posing awkward questions. When you invite volume, something gives.
5) Possession without control
City can still hit 60 percent of the ball, but control is when the opponent cannot run or breathe. Too many spells look sterile. The tempo drops, the angles get flat, and passes into the half spaces are telegraphed. That invites counters and drags energy out of the legs when the ball is lost.
Has City actually improved from last season?
Short answer, not yet. The attacking toolbox looks deeper, but control comes from structure, not names. Until the back five, including the pivot pair, move as one, the new creativity is lipstick on a leaky tap. The Brighton loss was a rerun of last season’s weak points, not a new episode.
What Pep can tweak right now
Stabilise the base
Pick a consistent center back pair for three or four league games in a row. Keep one fullback wide more often. Invert selectively, not by default. Hold the 3-2 rest shape behind the ball with strict spacing rules. If the winger on the far side does not tuck in, do not overload.
Give Rodri a bodyguard in tougher phases
Use a temporary double pivot when the game state turns. It slows counters and improves second-ball wins. Task the more vertical 8 to sit for five-minute control phases after City score or concede.
Rebuild pressing choreography
First step aggressive, second step locked on, third step ready to jump the return pass. Force play outside, never inside the 10 pocket. If the pass breaks a line, foul early, then reset.
Fix the set piece habits
Assign one dominant zone on near post and one clear blocker for the keeper. Defend cut-backs with a spare on the penalty spot rather than a fifth man at the back post.
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Manage game state like a thermostat
After scoring, run a three-minute freeze with slow circulation and touchline-to-touchline switches. Use subs to add legs at fullback or wide midfield rather than a fourth forward. Freshness on the cover line pays for itself in the 80th minute.
KPIs City should live by over the next month
- Transitions conceded that end in a shot, per match.
- Entries allowed into the zone between CB and FB
- Set piece xGA and first-contact win rate on defensive corners.
- PPDA in the middle third, not just high up the pitch.
- Recoveries made within 5 seconds of a turnover.
- Crosses allowed from their defensive left and right, tracked separately.
Hit those targets and the slump turns into a blip. Keep missing them and the same movie keeps playing.
The bottom line
City do not need a new identity. They need cleaner spacing, quicker pressure, and a nastier box. The attack will hum once control returns. Sort the rest defense, and the season stops feeling like last year’s director’s cut.
Also Read- Pep Guardiola: Manchester City ‘Forgot to Play’ In Brighton Defeat
