Man City vs Aston Villa player rankings: Phil Foden must be benched.
Both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland might be better off without Manchester City, especially considering Phil Foden’s current form. As for judgments on the age and fitness of the Belgian and the overall performance of the Norwegian, well, those will always differ, there is no denying their inherent skill.
In addition to John McGinn and Matty Cash’s absence, Pep Guardiola made two significant decisions on Wednesday by benching Haaland and De Bruyne among his four changes. But Villa’s signing of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez undermined him even more.
Jhon Duran, the youngest goal scorer to visit the Etihad in nearly eight years, capped Villa’s spectacular counterattack after Rodri put the champions ahead. With Nicolo Zaniolo’s poor defending in the Villa wall, Foden’s free kick shortly before halftime gave City the momentum they needed to retake the lead.
Early in the second half, Stefan Ortega stopped Douglas Luiz from tying the score, and Foden completed the triumph. After some amazing play, Rodri scored his first goal of the season in the bottom corner. He was pulled out and scored his second treble of the season a few seconds later.
The Man City players at the Etihad Stadium are ranked by GOAL.
Defense & Goalkeeper
Stefan Ortega (7/10): Held City ahead by tipping Luiz’s shot over. Cool under pressure and guiltless in Duran’s incredible goal.
Rico Lewis (6/10): Villa had some of their greatest moments when he was on the defensive end, but he gave City more presence in the midfield.
Ruben Dias (5/10): Showed signs of indecision on multiple occasions and was caught off guard by Villa’s equalizer.
Manuel Akanji (6 out of 10): both with and without the ball, at ease.
Josko Gvardiol (6/10): Another outstanding performance from a player who has become better as the season goes on.
Midfield
Bernardo Silva (6/10): City was always in control because to his deft passing and dribbling.
Rodri (8/10): Scored the first goal and carried the bulk of the work to create the opening goal for Foden. In the last third, he was lethal and controlled the midfield.
Phil Foden(10/10): It’s simply incredible. helped Rodri score before taking over the game and ensuring City won on his terms. He should take his Player of the Year award sooner rather than later.
Assault
Jeremy Doku (6/10): Rodri’s assist marked his first since November. Villa’s defense was shattered by his ingenuity, but he was never sure what to do next.
Julian Alvarez (4/10): Missed numerous opportunities to score or assist a teammate, and appeared uneasy as the line leader.
Jack Grealish (7/10): Overcame his dressing-down from Guardiola by playing a superb and unselfish game against his former team.
Manager & Subs
Matheus Nunes (6/10): In a great strike, almost curled.
Mateo Kovacic (6/10): Had to keep the fort only for the last fifteen minutes.
Oscar Bobb (N/A): An stunning appearance near the eighty-minute mark.
Sergio Gomez (N/A): His embarrassed expression said it all as he missed a true sitter.
By benching Haaland in favor of De Bruyne and a top-four opponent, Pep Guardiola (7/10) showed his integrity, and his team performed more freely and fluidly than they did.
Know about Manchester City
Now, let’s talk accomplishments! This club has won numerous trophies over the years, including nine league crowns, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups, six FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and even a FIFA Club World Cup. That’s impressive, huh?
Their initial major triumph came in the FA Cup in 1904, following their 1892 Football League admission. However, much remains! With titles including the league, FA Cup, League Cup, and European Cup Winners’ Cup, Manchester City enjoyed its true golden age in the late 1960s and early 1970s under the famous guidance of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison.
However, everything isn’t sunshine and rainbows. They experienced some tough times as well, like losing the 1981 FA Cup final and being demoted to the third division of English football in 1998. But they bounced back even harder, making it to the top division in 2001–02 and staying stable in the Premier League since 2002–03.
See? Manchester City has had a rollercoaster of a season, but they have demonstrated endurance and grit throughout!
In 2018-19, they won four trophies, completing an unprecedented sweep of all domestic titles in England and becoming the first English men’s team to achieve the domestic triple. Following that, the team won three straight Premier League titles in 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23, as well as its first Champions League final in 2021, which they lost to Chelsea. Manchester City won their first European Cup during the 2022-23 season, completing the continental treble and becoming the second English team to do so.
As of 2023, the squad has the top spot in the UEFA coefficient standings. At the conclusion of the 2021–22 season, Manchester City emerged victorious in the Deloitte Football Money League, securing the title of highest-grossing football club globally, with an approximate revenue of €731 million. With a $4.250 billion price tag, Forbes stated in 2022 that the club was the sixth most valuable in the entire globe. City Football Group Limited, a British holding company majority-owned by Abu Dhabi United Group and valued £3.73 ($4.8) billion in November 2019, owns Manchester City.