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Gary Neville claimed “something is not right” at Manchester City this season as they lost to Tottenham on Super Sunday – and that Pep Guardiola’s side are “not as strong” as they have been.
Spurs won 1-0 thanks to Harry Kane’s first-half goal, as City missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal, who lost 1-0 at Everton on Saturday.
Neville referred to City’s display in their 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham last month as he described Guardiola’s side – and hinted that the Spaniard was “wrong” in north London this weekend.
“I remember when Tottenham went 2-0 up at the Etihad and I said Pep Guardiola was playing around and playing around a few weeks ago,” Neville said. Sky Sports co-comment task.
“I feel the same today when I look at the team sheet without Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte still on the bench.
Erling Haaland failed to touch the ball in the penalty area at Spurs – and did not shoot
“You can’t write off Manchester City. It’s almost a shame that sometimes you sit here and say Guardiola is wrong, especially when he’s proven himself right like he did a few weeks ago.
“But something is not right at Man City. It feels a bit strange now.”
Neville added: “Guardiola knows these players better than anyone, but you can’t think that Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, and seven players with one of the three. in the future it will work.
“Pep knows the best, but he just feels, watching City, he’s not the same at the back. He’s not strong. In midfield, he’s not as good as De Bruyne who plays. The top man.
Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the Spurs touchline
“Pep is closer. He sees the players every day.”
Haaland’s evening to forget
It wasn’t a good evening for Erling Haaland, who not only ended the game at Tottenham without a shot on target – but also failed to touch the ball in the Spurs penalty area.
It was the first game in which Haaland failed to shoot in City colors – and only the second City game in which he has yet to touch the ball in the box.
Compare that to Harry Kane, who ended the evening with 10 touches in the City box – including one goal.
The striker, who has 25 goals in 20 Premier League games this season, “didn’t get the service he deserved”, according to Neville.
Carra: It’s not an ancient City
Harry Kane’s goal made it City’s third successive defeat
It was City’s third defeat in the round – the first time the club have achieved the feat since 2016 – following a loss to Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and a Manchester Derby defeat at United.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes that City “is not alone” this season – and that long winning run the club is able to receive may not come.
“We are waiting for City to go into a City that we know very well and this could be a season where we are not ourselves, for various reasons,” he said. “This is not the Manchester City of old.”
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