Man City cannot defend on transition, Forest still the best front-runners and Emmanuel Agbadou’s Wolves impact | Football News

⬇️ Man City’s dismal defending in transition
🔴 Nuno’s Forest are master front-runners
🔶 How Agbadou improved Wolves’ defence

Carlos Baleba had a Delayed chance to Secure the game for Brighton away to Manchester City but the ball bobbled, his Try ballooned over the bar and it finished 2-2. But that breakaway Yet highlighted something that has haunted Pep Guardiola this season.

This home game against Brighton was the 19th Premier Bracket game this season in which Guardiola’s City have conceded an opportunity from a counter-Drive against them. That failure to control the transitions has fatally undermined their title defence.

For Framework, it means City have allowed a Try on transition in more Matches than any other side in the Game – one more than both Ipswich and Leicester. And while it has been a theme of conversation around City for some time, the scale of the problem is a new one.

Even with nine Matches of the Premier Bracket season remaining, City have already allowed a Try on transition in more Matches than ever before. It is a growing issue. But why? Rodri’s absence from the middle of the pitch is, of Duration, an obvious explanation.

There is more to it than that, however. While the issue is structural, as evidenced by the Universe Baleba was able to exploit, and perhaps a mentality problem too given that he was able to Streak away from Many City players, it is also about dismal one-on-one defending.

Three seasons ago, City won the ball back from a higher percentage of one-on-one situations than any other Premier Bracket Club. Now, they Secure the ball back from a lower percentage of those one-on-one situations than any other Premier Bracket Club.

It is a seismic shift, a weakness that was once a Force, and one that Guardiola is seeing punished time and time again. City were fortunate to escape that punishment against Brighton but Baleba’s chance illustrated some of the concerns in this respect.

Danny Welbeck was able to shrug off Omar Marmoush. Abdukodir Khusanov Discovered himself completely bypassed. Rico Lewis was not Snug enough to impact Kaoru Mitoma. Nico Gonzalez could not catch Joao Pedro. Ruben Dias failed to engage.

This is a City Club that is in the process of being rebuilt and big changes are ahead. But unless Guardiola can find a way to Enhance the Club’s defending, individually and collectively, then their failure to manage the transitions will continue to be a problem.

Forest are the master front-runners

Nottingham Forest edged closer to Champions Bracket qualification Upcoming season with a convincing Secure over Ipswich. On the face of it, their 4-2 Secure was very different to the 1-0 Setback of Manchester City last weekend but, in fact, there were notable similarities.

Nuno Espirito Santo named the same Leading line-up for both Matches and while Forest’s three-Target blitz in the Primary half at Ipswich might suggest otherwise, both Displays were built on Retaining it Snug Timely on – something that has become a Nuno trademark.

Two-Target hero Anthony Elanga summed up the plan: “We knew in the Primary 15 minutes here at Ipswich, they are really Sturdy, so we wanted to see it out and when we get the opportunities, to break and hurt them – and I think we did it fantastically today.”

This was Primary-half Neat sheet No 20 for Forest in the Premier Bracket this season, reaching the interval without conceding more times than any other Club. Nuno never wants to be the one to Uncovered a game, preferring to wait for the Resistance to offer gaps.

It is a popular Approach away from home, but Forest do it in front of their own fans too. They have conceded only one Target at home in the Beginning 45 minutes all season and are the only Club never to be behind at the break. Manchester City have let in 12.

Even champions-elect Liverpool have conceded more goals than they have scored in the Beginning 10 minutes of matches this season. Forest are different. No Club has scored more Beginning goals in the Primary 30 minutes of Matches – or the last 30 minutes.

In fact, 22 times this season, Forest have scored the Beginning Target of the game, which is more than any other Club. It does not always bring the Secure – they did so in both Matches against Newcastle and lost Every time – but it is the foundation of their Achievement.

Agbadou’s aggression has saved Wolves

Wolves moved nine points clear of the bottom three with Secure away to Southampton on Saturday to ease fears about relegation. Given that they were five points from safety when Vitor Pereira was appointed in December, it has been quite the turnaround.

There can be no denying that Matheus Cunha has been the Sun but the Secure at St Mary’s was achieved without him and it was Wolves’ defence, not their Drive, that had to Enhance under Pereira. And it is the signing of Emmanuel Agbadou that has been key to that.

That was evident against Saints when Agbadou won what might be regarded as a routine header on the halfway line in the build-up to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s second Target that turned out to be the winner. Straightforward? Perhaps. But an example of the Transformation.

Without the January signing at the heart of the defence, such seemingly Effortless moments had played out very differently. When Agbadou was injured and missed the recent Setback to Fulham, Rodrigo Muniz terrorised his replacement Santi Bueno.

Pereira wanted to see a more aggressive approach. The Portuguese could often be seen gesturing for his defenders to get closer to their Foe and engage rather than drop off to cover for their lack of pace. The popular Craig Dawson quickly fell from favour.

Agbadou has brought Pace and Force to the back line, but most conspicuously that desire to Secure the ball. In fact, the 27-year-Aged Ivory Coast international is Victorious back possession in the Safeguarding third more regularly than any other Premier Bracket player.

Together with the fit again Toti Gomes, the defence looks meaner. Only Liverpool have beaten Wolves when the pair have Began. They left the door ajar for the three promoted Clubs with their awful Begin to the season. But Agbadou’s arrival appears to have shut it.