Manchester City's woes lie not just with Arsenal's resurgence, but also their own second-half struggles. In the six league games since New Year's fixtures, the reigning champions have dropped 11 points, while Arsenal have shed seven. A plethora of teams in the top half of the table – Aston Villa, Liverpool, Fulham, Everton, Brentford, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Manchester United – have also faltered, leaving their title challenge under threat.
The reason behind City's woes is not just fatigue, though that too plays a role. The ever-expanding tournament schedule has become a handicapping system for richer teams like City, who were further disadvantaged by playing in Gianni Infantino's bloated Club World Cup last summer. More specifically, the influence of new coach Pep Lijnders, who has brought an aggressive high press, is also to blame.
Lijnders' football, which was previously seen at Liverpool, relies on an intense and physically demanding style that requires teams to be in top form for 90 minutes. However, City have struggled to regain possession quickly when they lose it, falling back into defensive shape and leaving them vulnerable to counter-attacks. This change in approach has led to seven second-half drop-offs this season alone, with City losing points to Chelsea, Brighton, Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle, Fulham, and Leeds.
The impact of Lijnders' tactics is evident in City's goal difference – it stands at just three superior to Arsenal's. The difference between winning all remaining games to secure the title (89 points) and their current best-case scenario (82 points if they win 13 more games) is a staggering eight points.
In this season of Premier League football, the tables have been turned, and City now find themselves on the back foot, struggling to maintain momentum. They must navigate the challenges ahead with caution, lest they fall prey to another title challenge from Arsenal or other teams in their wake.
The reason behind City's woes is not just fatigue, though that too plays a role. The ever-expanding tournament schedule has become a handicapping system for richer teams like City, who were further disadvantaged by playing in Gianni Infantino's bloated Club World Cup last summer. More specifically, the influence of new coach Pep Lijnders, who has brought an aggressive high press, is also to blame.
Lijnders' football, which was previously seen at Liverpool, relies on an intense and physically demanding style that requires teams to be in top form for 90 minutes. However, City have struggled to regain possession quickly when they lose it, falling back into defensive shape and leaving them vulnerable to counter-attacks. This change in approach has led to seven second-half drop-offs this season alone, with City losing points to Chelsea, Brighton, Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle, Fulham, and Leeds.
The impact of Lijnders' tactics is evident in City's goal difference – it stands at just three superior to Arsenal's. The difference between winning all remaining games to secure the title (89 points) and their current best-case scenario (82 points if they win 13 more games) is a staggering eight points.
In this season of Premier League football, the tables have been turned, and City now find themselves on the back foot, struggling to maintain momentum. They must navigate the challenges ahead with caution, lest they fall prey to another title challenge from Arsenal or other teams in their wake.
. Playing in that ridiculous Club World Cup was a huge disadvantage for City, and now it's like they're having trouble adapting back to regular season play. I get that Pep Lijnders' coaching style is intense, but can't he just find a way to balance defense with offense? Seven second-half drop-offs this season already? That's crazy! 
And what's up with City's goal difference being only 3 points ahead of Arsenal? It's like they're playing a whole different game than everyone else. The whole thing feels so unpredictable, and I'm not sure who's going to come out on top at the end of the season... 
They used to be unstoppable but now it's like they're getting bullied by every team that steps on the pitch 
and I'm not even joking! 7 second-half drop-offs already? That's a nightmare 
they need to find a way to regain possession ASAP or else they'll be watching the title from the stands 
... I mean, I get it, high press and all that jazz can be intense but sometimes you gotta let your players breathe, you know? They're trying to adapt too fast and now they're losing games in the second half because their big-name signings are struggling to make an impact 
. It's like, City was riding a Messi-esque season last year and it all got taken away from them 
. Now, I'm not saying they can't come back, but 8-point difference is massive... they'd have to basically win every game for the rest of the season and still not guarantee the title 
. What do you guys think? Can City turn it around or is their title hopes just slipping away 
... they've been having a rough second half of the season and it's not just because of Arsenal's resurgence 
. Pep Lijnders' new tactics are really taking a toll on them, it seems like they're getting caught out with counter-attacks when they lose possession 
. They're struggling to regain control and that's leaving them vulnerable... it's like they're playing catch-up all the time 
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. They've got some tough games coming up and they'll need to bring their A-game if they want to make a title push 
. Wish 'em luck!
, it's about their own 2nd half issues 
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. He's all about that high press life 
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. If City wanna win the title, they need to figure out how to close that gap ASAP 
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️ Pep Lijnders' aggressive high press is killing City's game...literally 
I mean, the guy's got some experience under his belt from Liverpool and it's working for City now. The high press is a bit of a different ball game, but it's not all his fault that City are struggling to regain possession quick enough. They need to work on their defensive strategy, that's all 
anyway, it's gonna be a wild ride in the premier league this season 
. City needs to stay calm and focused if they wanna catch up with Arsenal and the others 
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. I think it's time for City to re-evaluate their strategy and work on building more cohesion, not just in the second half 
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. And what's with all these second-half drop-offs? 
It's not just fatigue, it's a tactical issue too... needs to be addressed