Manchester City Miss De Bruyne and Rodri! Haaland Fires a Blank in the Premier League for the First Time This Season

Manchester City, known for its luxurious lineup and top-tier players, is now facing an embarrassing situation of a personnel shortage, especially with the absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, two god-level figures. In the sixth round of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Manchester City played away against Newcastle United, ending in a 1-1 draw. However, this match felt more like a headless chicken scenario for City, as Rodri had just undergone surgery and might spend the entire season on the sickbed, while De Bruyne was also sidelined due to injury.

Facing such a tricky situation, Coach Pep Guardiola could only field Ilkay Gündogan, Mateo Kovačić, and youngster Rico Lewis as a makeshift midfield solution. Unfortunately, these three players seemed enchanted in this game, unable to find their rhythm against the “iron triangle” of Joelinton, Guimarães, and Tonali from Newcastle United.

Without Rodri, the midfield “sweeper,” and De Bruyne, the “offensive conductor,” Manchester City seemed like warriors without souls, unable to control the game at their familiar pace and even losing track of themselves. While Newcastle United’s performance was commendable, ultimately, City’s display resembled being “out of form.”

The importance of Rodri cannot be overstated; his defensive and offensive organizing abilities in midfield are evident, making him City’s “stabilizing pillar.” As for De Bruyne, he is the “magician” on City’s offensive line, whose passes and creativity always bring unexpected surprises to the opponent’s defense. When both were absent simultaneously, City’s attack lost direction, and Haaland, the scoring machine, failed to ignite in the Premier League for the first time this season due to insufficient support and quality passes.

Haaland and Guardiola’s current mood can probably be described as “yearning with intense anticipation.” These two core players are not only essential pieces in Guardiola’s tactical setup but also key to City’s dominance in England and Europe. However, when they cannot play, Guardiola seems to lack a perfect Plan B.

Since De Bruyne’s injury in the match against Inter Milan, City has seemingly embarked on a bumpy road. Whether it was the goalless draw with Inter or the thrilling 2-2 draw with Arsenal, it has been nerve-wracking. The only slight consolation for fans might be the 2-1 victory over Watford in the League Cup, but for City, this was more like “a light snack.”

Guardiola claims he has a clever plan to cope with Rodri’s absence, but judging from the practical results, this “clever plan” still needs refining. Therefore, City may really need to consider signing a new midfield general during the winter transfer window to fill the void.