Manchester City are in a tough moment and Pep Guardiola has a number of issues to solve.
There has been a big focus on the defensive woes. The backline has been shaky this season, but there has been a real lack of protection for it with Rodri on the sidelines.
Manchester City have become easy to play against, with teams looking to exploit the high line on the counter.
Micah Richards believes Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis are getting caught out of position, but several players just don’t look comfortable right now.
There is also another big problem right now, and that’s that other attacking players are not chipping in with goals.
Erling Haaland has 15 to his name so far this term. But Kovacic, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden and Matheus Nunes then all have three each.
Foden and Nunes are yet to score in the Premier League this season and neither has new signing Savinho.
For pundit Craig Burley, City are really missing Riyad Mahrez.
Craig Burley says Man City miss Riyad Mahrez and says Savinho must step up
According to Craig Burley, there is currently an overreliance on Haaland to score the goals, and City are missing their former winger Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez left City in the summer of 2023 after helping the club win the Treble, joining Al Ahli for around £30 million.
Goals from wide players have been a rarity this season for City, and Burley feels the club do miss their former Algerian star.
He said in a video for ESPN FC: “There is a heavy, heavy reliance at the moment on Erling Haaland in terms of scoring Premier League goals. They are not getting enough from the rest.
“Look at players they’ve lost who were big game-changers for them, and I’m thinking of one player in particular, although there’s been more.
“Riyad Mahrez. He became a player who was so important to this team. Whether he was one the bench or starting, he was a game-changer. With his assists, but more importantly, with big goals. At this moment in time, that has dried up.”
Burley also reckons City need more from Savinho, adding: “He’s come in, he does some nice tricks now and again. But he’s not playing for Girona now in La Liga. He’s playing for Man City, Champions League, at the top of the Premier League. It’s a fight every week, he’s going to have to up his game.”
Mahrez was a huge player for Man City
Mahrez left the club in the summer of 2023 and the club still did fairly well last term without him, winning three trophies.
But his absent is being felt this season, with goals mainly coming through Haaland.
Mahrez certainly had very good output for City in terms of goals and assists. In 236 games, he scored 78 goals and made 53 assists. That was one goal contribution every 1.8 games.
| Riyad Mahrez for Man City (2018-2023) |
| Appearances – 236 |
| Goals – 78 |
| Assists – 53 |
| Bought for – £60m |
| Sold for – £30m |
Savinho has done fairly well so far in terms of his creativity, making five assists. But the Brazilian will need to start finding the net soon before some real criticism comes his way.
Pep Guardiola needs that from him, and he is capable.
But certainly, someone providing a Mahrez level of output at the Etihad Stadium would be most ideal to take some of the burden away from Haaland.
