3 days ago
9
9 goals in 7 games
©TM/IMAGO
Manchester City may have moved within three points of top spot in the Premier League, following their 1-0 win over Brentford on Sunday afternoon, but very little about the performance suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side were prepared to launch a full-scale assault on this season’s title race. A solitary goal from Erling Haaland was all it took to claim all three points against Keith Andrews’ hard-working side, but there were plenty of scares for the former English champions throughout their narrow victory.
Over the course of the match Brentford logged six shots towards goal, including a one-vs-one that star striker Igor Thiago struggled to make the most of when an impressive charge from Gianluigi Donnarumma thwarted any chance of an equaliser. But, thankfully for Guardiola’s side, they were able to rely on Haaland to once again stick the ball in the back of the net and steer Man City away from disaster. But while the Norwegian striker’s goal in the first half was undoubtedly the latest example of his world class talent, it also underlined how reliant his team have become on his constant goals and assists to keep them on track.
Indeed, Haaland has already amassed an incredible nine goals and one assist in just seven league games this season. And while that is undoubtedly impressive, it also makes up 67% of Man City’s total team goals in the competition. As we can see in the graph above, only two clubs are more reliant on their main attacking threats this season: Burnley with Jaidon Anthony (who has scored or assisted 71% of his team’s goals) and Bournemouth with right winger Antoine Semenyo (82% of his team’s goals). And despite Haaland’s best attempts, he alone hasn’t been able to rescue his team from a rather underwhelming start to the season.
After seven games the former English champions sit fifth in the league table on 13 points. And while it may be a little too early in the season to be drawing conclusions from the first handful of skirmishes in the league campaign, it’s still considerably fewer points than Man City typically have at this point of the season. As we can see in the above graph, Guardiola’s team have never had a poorer start to a Premier League campaign. And it’s not hard to see why Man City have been far from perfect this season.
While Guardiola’s side have kept clean sheets in five of their first 10 games, they’ve also conceded eight goals in the remaining five games. And alongside a crumbling defence is a whole cast of attacking players that simply haven’t been able to support Haaland up front. Whether it be Jérémy Doku (one goal and three assists in eight games), Savinho (one goal in six games) or Bernardo Silva (one assist in eight games), Guardiola has struggled to rely on any of his creative players aside from perhaps Phil Foden (two goals and two assists in seven games) to lead Man City to victory alongside Haaland.
Whether it’s down to new players not adapting quickly enough or Guardiola still relying on more experienced players that are perhaps past their peak, it’s clear from the first 10 games of the season that very few players in Man City’s team are reaching the standard that they once set with apparent ease year after year not so long ago. Had it not been for Haaland’s goals and assists, the former English champions would be much further down the league table. And had Brentford found a way to keep the Norwegian talent quiet on Sunday, fans of the club may be far more concerned about the form of Guardiola’s team.
