A midfield crisis threatens survival tactics! Manchester City secures back-to-back Premier League wins, scoring 8 and conceding 6 in two matches.

Following the serious injury to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, ongoing fitness issues have made it unlikely for this top Spanish midfielder to regain his best form. Elite defensive midfielders like Casemiro are hard to come by. Despite signing González and Reynders after Rodri’s injury, Manchester City still struggles with their chronic midfield frailty.

In the 14th round of the Premier League, Manchester City narrowly beat Fulham 5-4 away, with the scoreline shifting from 5-1 to 5-4. City nearly saw their lead erased by Fulham, making it an exhilarating match for neutral fans and a nerve-wracking experience for City supporters.

After the 5-4 away victory against Fulham, Manchester City has now claimed two consecutive Premier League wins. Including the previous round’s 3-2 last-minute win over Leeds United at home, City has scored 8 goals in their last two league games. While the offense looks promising, they have also conceded 8 goals across these matches, averaging 4 goals allowed per game—does this point to defensive issues?

Donnarumma remains one of the best active goalkeepers in football, but Manchester City’s midfield is practically non-existent. Defense alone cannot hold up a match; midfielders must intercept and tackle, especially defensive midfielders protecting the center-backs. González has performed poorly in this role, and although Reynders appears energetic and covers a large area according to his heat map, he runs without defending effectively. Fans joke that Donnarumma’s high salary is justified because he really has to work hard!