Five Things Learned: Sporting CP 4-1 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League) | OneFootball

Manchester City succumbed to yet another defeat across competitions this week, falling to a second-half demolition job at the hands of Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP.

It is the first time that Pep Guardiola’s side have lost three matches in a row since April 2018, as a Carabao Cup fourth round exit to Tottenham was followed by defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League, leading up to a disappointing night in Lisbon.

Phil Foden had initially given Manchester City fans plenty of hope that their fortunes may finally be turning, with an excellent individual effort from last season’s Premier League Player of the Year putting the visitors ahead inside five minutes.

That would be as far as the joys would go unfortunately, as Viktor Gyokeres would break through the Manchester City defensive unit towards the end of the half to get Sporting back on level terms.

City were likely to be have been instructed to keep going as they were doing so at the half-time interval, with plenty in the way of chances created but not too much being converted by the likes of Erling Haaland in particular.

Manchester City would pay the ultimate price inside 30 seconds of the second-half restart, conceding to Maximiliano Araujo before Viktor Gyokeres would extend the lead to 3-1, adding to his own scoring and making it a hat-trick and a 4-1 rout later in the half.

City will be desperate to end the rut as soon as possible, but face another challenging affair this weekend as the focus turns back to the Premier League and a visit to the south coast on Saturday evening.

But before attentions can turn to the trip to face Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion, here are the Five Things We Learned from Manchester City’s heavy defeat in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday night!

Don’t take your chances, pay the ultimate price

The first-half wasn’t that bad. That’s the fact of the matter.

When Phil Foden’s strike went in beyond Franco Israel inside five minutes, you wouldn’t have been blamed for presuming that a second, third, or fourth goal would follow, especially given the chances that Manchester City were creating.

Some of the efforts had on goal were pretty decent too, but when a second didn’t arrive, and Sporting continued to show signs of a threat on the counter-attack, particularly after Viktor Gyokeres saw a lobbed effort stopped by Ederson, you just knew that they could punish City.

Ultimately, Pep Guardiola’s side would pay the ultimate price for not rounding off patient, probing, and slick phases of attacking play with a goal, and a lapse of concentration immediately after the break and a sloppy foul to give away a penalty would leave City stunned.

Too much is being asked of Rico Lewis

Rico Lewis is perfect for this Manchester City system. Unfortunately, the present crop of Manchester City players working around the 19-year-old are simply not good enough or fit enough to allow the teenager to excel to the best of his abilities.

And as such, that is leaving Rico Lewis with simply far too much to do and with far too much responsibility across three different positions, both defensively and offensively for Manchester City right now.

The 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP saw Rico Lewis start the night as Manchester City’s right-back, offering defensive support from the deep-lying midfield position, before looking to string together attacking phases of play from the number eight and 10 roles.

It’s not that he cannot do those roles in isolation, but that those roles put together force Manchester City to open themselves up to frailties in other areas of the pitch as Rico Lewis looks to make up for a lack of other options in the squad.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey cannot be led by Manuel Akanji

Pep Guardiola sprung a surprise on us on Tuesday night by handing a first senior start to Jahmai Simpson-Pusey at the heart of Manchester City’s defence, but what the 19-year-old did prove is that he needed a far more senior, composed, and experienced leader alongside him.

The teenager was left exposed on too many occasions as he looked to stay alongside Manuel Akanji, but communication between the pair forced the Academy graduate to be the one chasing Viktor Gyokeres and Maximiliano Araujo for both the first and second Sporting goals.

This is by all means not a reflection of Manuel Akanji’s capabilities to be in the Manchester City side whatsoever, but merely a pointer towards those looking to issue the blame on the inexperience of Simpson-Pusey.

For the most part, he looked great. He fed balls into the midfield of Manchester City, remained calm and composed when played the ball with Sporting players chasing him down, and did not look out of place at the very top of European football.

If he is to see first-team action again this season, which may be a possibility given the way injuries and fitness problems are arising, then Jahmai Simpson-Pusey must be accompanied by Ruben Dias – a core component of Manchester City’s long-standing successful defence.

The culmination of poor recruitment

Txiki Begiristain has been at the centre of some of the finest squads ever assembled in football history over the last decade, and Pep Guardiola has executed that recruitment to perfection by taking players to their very best levels.

However, the last two summer markets in particular have seen Manchester City either cut corners, recruit at the bare minimum standard possible, or identify the wrong profiles for crucial roles.

Manchester City DID sign a Rodri back-up. That was Kalvin Phillips. That didn’t work. Manchester City didn’t react.

Manchester City HAD an Erling Haaland back-up. That was Julian Alvarez. He wanted a fresh challenge. Manchester City got the best deal they possibly could. He left. Manchester City didn’t sign a replacement.

Manchester City needed fresher legs in midfield. Manchester City needed more creativity to support an ageing Kevin De Bruyne. Manchester City did not react to either requirements with the necessary quality, and instead got ‘lucky’ by the emergence of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer.

What Manchester City now have is a situation where they might have a lot, or perhaps even too much, to do in the coming transfer windows at a time when they could also be coming to terms with the exits of Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola at the same time, or in successive summers.

This might not be the ‘annual crisis’ we’re used to

We know the drill by now; Manchester City often find themselves in a similar scenario as the ongoing picture at this stage of the season, or particularly over the festive period, and it seems to end the same way – success.

But something is off this time around, and fans are becoming more aware of the fact.

Rodri isn’t coming back any time soon, injuries could get worse or more problematic as greater demands are placed on others, and any more poor results could put them too far behind in competitions, or give them too much work to do in the second-half of the season.

There is no let-up for Manchester City at any point in the coming weeks, and with mammoth fixtures against the likes of Brighton this weekend, Tottenham and Liverpool after the international break, Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, and a visit to Aston Villa, things could very possibly get worse.

A lot will likely ride on Pep Guardiola’s ability to re-inspire his squad, source solutions to the gaping holes defensively and in deep-lying midfield, as well as their challengers’ ability to maintain their own form.

Thankfully for Manchester City, their manager does remain Pep Guardiola, and if anyone is able to think up the unimaginable in the face of adversity, then it is the greatest manager to ever coach this football club and perhaps in the English game.