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Ilkay Gundogan blamed a congested calendar in a singular season for Manchester City’s failure to match the requirements they’ve set beneath Pep Guardiola after a 1-1 draw with West Brom dealt one other blow to their title problem. Gundogan appeared to have opened the floodgates on the half hour mark, however Ruben Dias’s personal aim two minutes earlier than half-time proved expensive as City’s issues in entrance of aim continued in a goalless second-half. City have gained simply 5 of their opening 12 league video games of the season, a far cry from the mixed 198 factors they registered in two title-winning campaigns beneath Guardiola in 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Even final season when ending distant runners-up to Liverpool, City scored 102 league targets, however the stale domination that has characterised a lacklustre marketing campaign was in proof all night time as they struggled to interrupt by West Brom’s deep-lying defence.
“We had great years where we played great football in the past so we set the level high,” mentioned Gundogan. “All over Europe all the big teams are struggling with the tight fixtures and it’s not going to be easier in the next weeks.
“That’s an reason it isn’t all the time as straightforward because the expectations individuals have for us. We usually are not machines however we additionally know when we now have not performed our greatest recreation.”
City could have moved to within three points of leaders Tottenham and Liverpool, who meet on Wednesday. Instead Guardiola’s men edge up to fifth on goal difference, still five points off the top.
“These video games you need to win, we all know it, so we drop factors,” admitted Guardiola. “It’s not distant the highest of the league, however you need to win video games. Still we’re in early December and there are quite a lot of video games to play.”
City loved 77 % possession and had 26 photographs on aim, however not till a late flurry of crosses from Kevin De Bruyne produced two gorgeous saves from Sam Johnstone to disclaim Gundogan and Raheem Sterling have been West Brom opened up.
“We created sufficient to win the sport. We did every thing however in the long run you need to rating,” added Guardiola. “We should be optimistic that in the long run we’ll rating targets.”
West Brom had the first big chance of the game when the ball ricocheted off Joao Cancelo into the path of Karlan Grant and he forced Ederson into a fine save low to his left.
City’s probing was finally rewarded on the half hour as Sterling got to the by-line and his cut back was fired home from the edge of the area by Gundogan.
But the hosts shot themselves in the foot by conceding for the first time in seven games two minutes before half-time as they failed to clear a free-kick into the box and Semi Ajayi’s shot was deflected into his own net by Dias.
It was one-way traffic after the break as City set up camp in the West Brom half but lacked the imagination or pace to open the visitors up.
De Bruyne was the most likely candidate to produce the inspiration his side needed but twice Johnstone in the West Brom goal denied the Belgian with low saves to his left.
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Guardiola introduced City’s all-time report scorer Sergio Aguero off the bench for the ultimate 15 minutes, however the Argentine’s lack of match sharpness after a sequence of harm issues confirmed as he slashed extensive the form of probability he has so usually buried.
Johnstone’s heroics in stoppage time to disclaim Gundogan and Sterling earned his facet a precious draw that strikes them to inside two factors of security.
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