October 16, (THEWILL) – With a 2-0 victory over Burnley, English Premier League champions Manchester City kept pace with Liverpool at the top of the table, moving to within a point distance from the Reds after matchday eight’s proceedings at the Etihad Stadium.
Nick Pope dived to his left to stop Phil Foden’s low drive but could only present the ball into the path of Bernardo Silva, who scored from close range. And, after Ashley Westwood and Riyad Mahrez collided in the box, Kevin De Bruyne made it two with a left-footed smash.
Burnley are still in second place in the table, but they can take heart from the way they battled the reigning champions on an equal footing for the majority of the game.
City fortunately got away with it in this game because if Burnley’s Josh Brownhill and Ashley Barnes had finished a couple of good chances, the champions could have dropped points.
Winning the title last season was one thing, but with Liverpool looking rejuvenated and Chelsea ready to bring their Champions League form to the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s side will have to perform even better this season if they are to retain their crown.
Last season’s 86 points were the lowest for a champion since Leicester in 2015-16, and it was aided by Ilkay Gundogan’s goalscoring efforts, which are unlikely to be replicated in the City side this season, and Raheem Sterling’s contribution, which dwindled to ten last year after 45 goals in three seasons prior to that, and looks likely to be in single figures this season.
They clearly lack a spearhead in attack with Sergio Aguero gone, with Gabriel Jesus successfully moved to the right flank, and Ferran Torres unlikely to return before February. There is also the possibility that Harry Kane’s impending transfer could be the ultimate lose-lose situation, given his recent form with goals hard to come by at the club and country levels.
The champions will need more than they delivered against Burnley to successfully defend their domestic title and rightfully challenge again at the European stage especially in the final third where they are clearly without a goal poacher to convert chances created.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
