No Need to Press the Panic Button After Old Trafford Disappointment

Having endured a day to forget in January’s derby clash at Old Trafford, it will take calm heads to steer Manchester City back to calmer waters.
Pep Guardiola is more than experienced enough to get the Cityzens back on track, especially with his side still very much in the Premier League title race and battle for European honours.

Defensive Injuries Telling in Derby Disappointment

Managers are rarely ones to point to excuses, but Guardiola will certainly have felt the defensive absences he had in that 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. City, who are 9/2 in the Premier League online betting odds to lift the trophy this season, were missing key defenders that day. Rúben Dias and John Stones were just two of the centre-backs out injured for the Cityzens, who are 6/1 in the football tips to win the UEFA Champions League title this term. Players with the quality and experience of Dias and Stones are hard to replace, and their absence was certainly telling in that game at the home of City’s arch rivals.

On a more positive note, Guardiola will know that defensive reinforcements are on their way, with both Dias and Stones expected to return from the treatment room in February. Compared to some of their rivals at the top end of the Premier League standings, City have had to deal with more than their fair share of injury issues this season. However, with big names set to return for the business end of the campaign, there is plenty to be positive about at the Etihad Stadium going into the conclusion of the season.

City Can Keep the Pressure on Fallible Arsenal

While Arsenal opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the table on the day of that derby defeat at Old Trafford, the Gunners are far from home and dry in the race for the English crown. The north London outfit have squandered bigger leads at the top of the standings in previous seasons, and City know how to hunt down teams at the summit.

Getting players back fit will be a good starting point to help build much-needed winning momentum and keep pressure on Arsenal in the weeks to come. The Gunners are still battling for silverware on multiple fronts, and in the past their season has fallen apart in the space of a week or two when the pressure tells. While many will be saying this is Arsenal’s year to finally end their wait for Premier League glory, that extra pressure on Arteta’s men can play right into City’s hands. The Cityzens know they still welcome Arsenal to the Etihad in April, and if the men in blue are within touching distance of the Gunners, that could be an encounter that grabs the focus of the football world.

Injuries have certainly not helped City this season, and it was telling at Old Trafford, especially in defence. However, with players set to return and with Guardiola in the dugout, Arsenal will be looking over their shoulders in the months to come.