City speculates and Brentford comes back | Soccer | Sports

Liverpool, leader of the Premier, tied at Forest’s field (1-1); Chelsea tied (2-2) at Bournemouth; and Manchester City did not take advantage of it, coming back in Brentford after going ahead 0-2. The day that began this Tuesday delves into the idea of ​​a tournament without a clear dominator or solvent pursuers. The road is difficult and the team led by Guardiola is stuck in sixth position, one point behind, seventh, and with one more game than Newcastle, which equals it in points and is fifth in the first line of European positions.

As happens with teams that do not manage the full range of resources that the game offers, City was only able to shine on the counterattack. On the run. Faced with a modest rival who attacked them as if they had lost respect, Guardiola’s team played what the Catalan coach calls “surviving.” With Gündogan sitting on the bench and Kovacic barely in charge of occupying the midfield, City came out on top for an hour thanks to Bernardo Silva’s outpouring of generosity. Once again, the Portuguese multiplied to help his centre-backs in the terrifying task of coming out playing and covering spaces in defense. During the first half, the clearest chances came from Wissa and Mbeumo, Brentford attackers. Aké took a ball on the goal line. .

City saw the light after the hour of penance. They had just disallowed Damsgaard’s 1-0 lead for offside when Ederson took a goal kick. For the first article of the prehistoric attack manual. Haaland lowered the melon, Savinho extended it and Kevin de Bruyne centered it with the donut like Michel. Foden made it 0-1 and the bench celebrated with sentimental outpouring.

The advantage did not change the pattern followed by the . Slow progressions, constant rhythm, pause when acceleration is necessary, touches to touch, centers lacking imagination, and pressure as indefinite as Kovacic. Even though Guardiola has improved him based on accelerated training courses, pivotsthe Croatian neither sees the opponent’s passing lines, nor knows how to intuit the exit of the opponents, who invariably anticipate him. Between the clogged circulation and the indecisive pressure, City was a shadow of its best version. With 0-1 and with 0-2. Foden scored the second after another counterattack led by Savinho.

Closed for days

Tired in the search, City were equally tired in managing the advantage in the ten minutes remaining in the game. There are records that are not easy to alter and . It went well against Leicester City – probably the worst team in the Premier – and he doubled down on Brentford. Slowing down the pace of the ball when they had it and getting behind when they didn’t, perhaps due to inertia, City behaved like teams that speculate, to see if they can hopefully avoid being scored on. It happens that this City never knew how to close well in its area and for months it has not had any luck either. How to have it! Gambling on putting the lock on without Rodri, without Walker and without Dias was an unrealistic solution. Faced with Thomas Frank’s combative team, the trench was synonymous with a chimera.

In the 82nd minute, Wissa pushed one of the many balls that his teammates put into the pile. City’s response, beaten, was predictable in this group of tormented footballers. Norgaard, in injury time, headed the score 2-2 that closed an open match, fun for the fans, bitter for Guardiola. City is stuck in the standings and in addition to losing points, it now loses the daring and dynamic style that gave it a unique identity.