Manchester City Face A Defining Week

Manchester City blew Bournemouth away with a 5-1 win on Saturday. Raheem Sterling showed his class with a hat trick as his side posted a convincing result against the south coast opposition. The result helped allay fears of how the squad will cope without Sergio Agüero and David Silva after the key duo picked up injuries during the recent international break.

The win sets the Blues up well for what will be a defining week in their season.

At the end of the week, Manuel Pellegrini’s men make the short trip out of the city to face Manchester United at Old Trafford. Before that, there’s the small matter of a crunch Champions League game at the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens will welcome Spanish side Sevilla to town knowing that obtaining three points is imperative if they are to give themselves a shot at a safe passage into the last 16 of the competition.

When the Blues were drawn into Group D with Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach, a rudimentary breakdown of what was required suggested that wins over the La Liga side would be the key to getting out of the group; beating Juve would be the key to topping it.

Both City and the Spaniards have lost their initial ties against the Italian giants, whilst both have beaten Gladbach. With two games played, they each sit on three points. If City were to drop points at the Etihad on Wednesday it would constitute another European disaster.

Whilst the Blue’s experiences in the competition naturally draw one to the worst-case scenario, there is no need to dwell on the potential negatives here. In their most recent European outing, they produced a last gasp, come-from-behind triumph over Gladbach to take their first three points in this year’s tournament. Whilst that performance produced plenty of questions, the nature of the win did prove that Manuel Pellegrini’s men are developing the mental fortitude to cope with setbacks. That facet of their game had been under scrutiny prior to the trip to Germany.

The open game that City played that evening was generally considered to be the wrong way to approach an away fixture in Europe. However, if they adopt a similar style in their own back yard on Wednesday and a throw a touch more ruthlessness into the mix, there’s a real opportunity to grab a handsome result and put themselves in pole position to qualify for the next stage. With Sevilla having made a disappointing start to their domestic season, sitting in 11th place with two wins from eight games, City should have little to fear.

There is bound to be some tension surrounding that tie, though it will pale into insignificance compared to Sunday. The Manchester derby is one of the biggest fixtures in the English football calendar and the upcoming tie will be the most crucial of them since 2012. That year, the two sides went neck-and-neck for the title, something that has not been done since.

There is a possibility that we could bear witness to something similar this term. City established themselves as early favourites to win the league with a blistering start, but United continue to defy expectations by churning out results. Though they are capable of being abject, as they were when they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, but they are mainly annoyingly good at grinding out positive results. This weekend’s 3-0 win at Everton was something of a turn up for the books and will provide Louis Van Gaal’s men with plenty of confidence leading into the derby.

For both sides, this match will be all about making a statement. City will be regarded as title challengers regardless of the outcome but many punters will be viewing this as United’s opportunity to stake their own claim. Despite the fact they keep getting results, the feeling prevails that the Trafford side are lacking the quality needed to sustain a title run. Should they produce a victory over their local rivals, there will be a serious shift in that perception.

On a purely practical basis, City have the opportunity to walk onto a rivals turf and serve a real psychological blow. A win would move them three points clear of their bitter foe. Having already dismissed champions Chelsea early in the campaign, the opportunity to send another challenger away with their tails between their legs is one that Pellegrini will be desperate to take.

There’s also the small matter of making amends for what happened in last year’s Old Trafford derby. That afternoon, the Reds made light work of City; the 4-2 scoreline flattered the visitors who were abject throughout. That was the eighth defeat suffered by the Blues in 15 games and was embarrassing for every supporter in the away end. The mood was becoming poisonous and many supporters would have happily seen the Chilean manager fired in his dugout somewhere around the hour mark.

His charges have improved massively since then. This might just be the most marked test of how far they’ve come mentally, if not technically.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of the week ahead. Two wins would see Manchester City shaping up nicely domestically and on the continent. Anything less will raise unwanted doubts. This could prove to be one of the biggest weeks in Manchester City’s season.