I spent the evening watching the Manchester Derby and I watched
a full match of English Premier League after almost ten years. The pace of EPL
has not not changed and surely, Pep Guardiola’s men took it to a different
level. Jose Mourinho’s plan to utilize the flanks via Marcus Rashford in the
second half was dented by the skillful defenders of Manchester City and despite
leading the game by 2-1, Pep didn’t try
to defend it, but came out in an all attacking mode to keep Manchester United
at bay.
Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Promise Iheanacho have been
brilliant in the first half. Manchester City dominated the pitch. A Claudio
Bravo mistake gave Jose’s team to cut short the deficit, but the Red Devils
were needed to elevate their game a lot more in the second half
Kevin De Bruyne had been just fantastic to watch. My main
motto behind watching this match was how Pep will utilize Gabriel Jesus. Jesus
enjoys the role of a striker in Brazil and interchange a lot with Neymar and
Gabigol. Similarly, his partnership with Kevin will be a headache for others.
I think, in terms of tactics, Pep outsmart Jose in all accounts.
Especially in the defensive area. The Manchester City defence was not only
compact, but played a vital role in build-up-play. The partnership between John
Stones and Bacary Sagna were instrumental in providing solidity to Man. City at
the back.
Whereas, the Manchester United defence found it tough to
stop Kevin . In the second half, up to 60 minutes, Manchester United looked very
threatening, but as the game progressed, Pepe’ men took over and pressed hard
at the other end. Ibrahimovich’s efforts went begging, while Man. City could
not add more to the tally.
Both teams need a genuine number 9. Man. City will have
Jesus, but whether Ibra would give the Red Devils the cutting edge remains a
moot question.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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