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What can the rest do to stop Manchester City?
Manchester City is reaching unprecedented levels in their title defense season with Pep Guardiola in charge. How can any team stop them?
Manchester City is reaching unprecedented levels in their title defense season with Pep Guardiola in charge. Things are looking pretty good at Manchester, with the team showing exceptional football in every game they’ve played.
The add-on of Haaland has just increased their stakes for another Premier League title, and the side looks explosive. Ever since taking up the job at City, Pep Guardiola has revolutionized the club, bringing his style of play and building a team that will be unbeatable.
Everyone with Manchester City tickets to the Etihad has seen Guardiola’s excellence unfolding. The Spaniard believes the club can progress even after his departure because of his setup.
In his final year in charge of the Blues, the 51-yeard-old has shown no indication of leaving the club and is looking positively ahead. Since joining City from Bayern Munich in 2016, Guardiola has had two contract extensions.
He believes that the club knows the target and the next step precisely. He adds that he has built the vision for the club for them to continue this momentum in the coming seasons. Guardiola has always been a team-styled player who expects all players to play in cohesion and not rack up expectations upon one player.
“When the club depends on one person, there are problems,” he added during a recent interview. Guardiola currently has won nine major trophies, including 4 Premier League titles, and he understands that he still has one more hurdle to beat, to win the UEFA Champions League.
The City side of 2019 became the first English side to win the domestic treble – the Premier League, Carabao Cup, and the FA Cup.
Future uncertain?
While there are indicators out on the future, there is no real sign from Guardiola about ending his Man City stint. He’s on his seventh season this year, and there’s nothing to deny the Spaniard another extension.
According to close sources, the decision will entirely be his, where he will have to decide if he needs to spend another stint with the club.
“If I stay at Man City, it’s perfect,” he said. “If I don’t stay at Man City, the club will be perfect too.
Erling Haaland – Unstoppable
Ever since the Norweignain wore the Manchester Blue, he’s been a different caliber of a player. The 22-year-old’s form since leaving Dortmund for Manchester City has been fearsome. Haaland has played four games for the club during September and scored five. He already has 16 for City, just nine games in.
He scored twice on his debut against West Ham and brought in two hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. And no team has any clue about stopping the young land.
The hat-trick against Manchester United summated the Norwegian’s capabilities. He seemed unstoppable, even with an improved United defense.
Pundits were skeptical of Haaland’s entry to England, and critics emerged after City’s defeat to Liverpool in the Community Shield. The 22-year-old was not at his best, with several concerns about his future.
Some felt that he would not fit into Guardiola’s team, with him being a counter-attacking striker and only having credentials in Germany.
But the Norweigian defied his critics and now is in contention to break records in his first season. And by the looks of it, City recognizes his efforts and wants to reinvest in his career.
City will likely rip up his contract and offer a new one if he continues to get his name on the score sheet. With 13 goals, the Norweigan is on course to break records this season. Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer share the record for the most goals in a Premier League season which is 31. In eight appearances, with the recently concluded Manchester derby, he is 18 shy of the record with 28 games to go.
The Blues habitually uplift their players for protection against their rivals who offer bigger basic payouts. Ederson, Aymeric Laporte, Bernardo Silva, and Ruben Dias were among those to benefit from a bumper pay rise at the end of a brilliant first year.
Haaland, 22, already earns £375,000 weekly, making him the club’s joint-highest earner alongside Kevin De Bruyne.
Boosting the ex-Borussia Dorman lad’s package with bonuses and add-ons might be the option the management might want to go for if they are reluctant to break the pay structure. Haaland has been sensational since he arrived for a £51million summer arrival.
Should he carry on finding the net at his present rate, he could even hit the 60-goal mark over a Premier League season.
The Bernado Silva situation
Earlier, it was hinted that Bernado Silva was leaving Manchester City for FC Barcelona. But a few weeks later, he was back in the starting lineup for City after talks were canceled. However, the discussions are back as City decides on Silva’s future.
The management is expected to sit down with Silva to discuss his future before they venture onto the transfer market for signings. The club is very interested in extending Silva’s stay at City, but Silva has wanted to leave.
Barcelona was the most vocal of them all – making quite the noise for the City player, that angered most people with Manchester City tickets. Silva has also been a fan of the Catalan club since the beginning, adding that it was his dream to play for Barcelona someday. But it all comes down to the January window, where Silva’s fate will be decided.
Earlier, we saw Guardiola benching Silva in the first few games with uncertainty, but after the opening weeks, Silva was able to put behind the bad faith and perform.
In the meantime, Kevin De Bruyne has pledged to see his contract in 2025, and Illkay Gundogan is also on his final nine months in his contract. The hero from the Premier League title decider will most likely have a decent extension forwarded, based on how he has performed in the last few games.
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