Liverpool Legend Highlights Pep Guardiola’s ‘Biggest Problem’ After Manchester City vs. Chelsea Ends in a Draw

Published 02/18/2024, 12:55 AM EST

Manchester City seems to be facing an uphill battle in the Premier League race. Yesterday, Pep Guardiola and Co. fell flat on their faces against Chelsea as they were held 1-1 on their home soil. As if the fuss from fans wasn’t enough, the scoreline seems to have brought the Sky Blues into the negative limelight, with a Liverpool legend vocally insisting that the Cityzens ‘can’t deal with genuine pace.‘

Steve Nicol is not worried about Manchester City about ‘what they do going forward’; rather, the Scottish icon has expressed his doubts over City’s ability to keep a clean sheet. The reigning champions have kept just 2 clean sheets in the last 14 PL games and the Reds legend insists they are lucky they only conceded one yesterday. “The biggest problem they have is they can’t deal with genuine pace,” said Nicol while speaking on ESPN.

Despite backing Nathen Ake, Manuel Akanji, and Ruben Diaz as good defenders, the pundit claims that he is worried that these center-backs can’t keep up with the ‘genuine pace’ of players like Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling.

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Nicol asserted that City having 31 shots on target and maintaining 71% possession won’t stop oppositions from just sitting, as they will try for a breakthrough. The ESPN commentator also didn’t spare Erling Haaland for missing easy chances against Mauricio Pochettino’s side. “I don’t think the worry is for City going forward; the worry is how do they keep a clean sheet,” concluded Nicol. While this problem has been underlined, it’s no secret that Guardiola is fully aware of his side’s pitfalls.

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Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City were ‘not at their best’ against Chelsea

Although the draw halted Manchester City’s streak of 11 consecutive victories in all competitions and dropped them to 3rd place on the table, Pep Guardiola emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency throughout the 90 minutes. “Well, we don’t perform our level in the first half. We were not at our best and it can happen in transition,” he told the media, after the game.

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While heaping praise on Chelsea, the Spanish tactician also urged his side to maintain their dominance, especially in the first half of the game. Failing to do so would result in conceding goals, making it difficult for them to make a comeback. It’s clear that problems persist at Etihad Stadium. It remains to be seen how the Cityzens navigate such challenges.

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Written by:

Abhishek Mishra is a senior Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. His early exposure to playing soccer earned him many accolades at college divisions, making him a sports enthusiast. While closely following daily updates for over a decade, Abhishek is well-versed in European soccer and now the MLS, as well.

Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz

Liverpool Legend Highlights Pep Guardiola’s ‘Biggest Problem’ After Manchester City vs. Chelsea Ends in a Draw

Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City were ‘not at their best’ against Chelsea

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