Manchester City's struggles in the second half of games have become a major concern in their pursuit of the Premier League title. The team has consistently failed to build on first-half leads, instead dropping crucial points due to goals conceded in the latter stages of matches.
In recent weeks, the trend has been particularly evident, with City squandering opportunities to extend their lead over Arsenal and other top contenders. A look at the statistics reveals that the Blues have dropped 11 points in six league games since the New Year fixtures, a stark contrast to Arsenal's seven-point deficit in the same period.
The reasons behind this second-half slump are multifaceted. Fatigue is undoubtedly a contributing factor, with City's congested schedule due to the expanded calendar of international tournaments taking its toll on the squad. The Club World Cup earlier this year has also had a negative impact, weighing down the team with an additional 13 games.
However, there may be a more significant tactical issue at play. Pep Guardiola's decision to adopt a high-intensity pressing style under new assistant coach Pep Lijnders has led to City playing an offside trap that is not always effective in regaining possession quickly. This shift in strategy has resulted in the team losing control and being exposed on the counter-attack, particularly when conceding second-half goals.
The statistics bear this out: if games ended at half-time this season, City would be leading the title race by 12 points, having lost just twice. However, with the current format of matches starting from scratch, they trail Arsenal by six points and are struggling to build momentum. The pressure on City is therefore mounting, and it's becoming increasingly likely that the Blues will slip up as much as – if not more than – their rivals.
The implications for Arsenal are significant, as the team must now navigate a title race where City feel just as vulnerable to collapse. With City's second halves being 19 points worse than their first halves, there is real concern that the Blues may struggle to maintain their lead in the coming weeks. As it stands, the focus has shifted back onto Arsenal, who will be eager to capitalize on the weakness of their title rivals.
In recent weeks, the trend has been particularly evident, with City squandering opportunities to extend their lead over Arsenal and other top contenders. A look at the statistics reveals that the Blues have dropped 11 points in six league games since the New Year fixtures, a stark contrast to Arsenal's seven-point deficit in the same period.
The reasons behind this second-half slump are multifaceted. Fatigue is undoubtedly a contributing factor, with City's congested schedule due to the expanded calendar of international tournaments taking its toll on the squad. The Club World Cup earlier this year has also had a negative impact, weighing down the team with an additional 13 games.
However, there may be a more significant tactical issue at play. Pep Guardiola's decision to adopt a high-intensity pressing style under new assistant coach Pep Lijnders has led to City playing an offside trap that is not always effective in regaining possession quickly. This shift in strategy has resulted in the team losing control and being exposed on the counter-attack, particularly when conceding second-half goals.
The statistics bear this out: if games ended at half-time this season, City would be leading the title race by 12 points, having lost just twice. However, with the current format of matches starting from scratch, they trail Arsenal by six points and are struggling to build momentum. The pressure on City is therefore mounting, and it's becoming increasingly likely that the Blues will slip up as much as – if not more than – their rivals.
The implications for Arsenal are significant, as the team must now navigate a title race where City feel just as vulnerable to collapse. With City's second halves being 19 points worse than their first halves, there is real concern that the Blues may struggle to maintain their lead in the coming weeks. As it stands, the focus has shifted back onto Arsenal, who will be eager to capitalize on the weakness of their title rivals.
they're just not built for this congested schedule you know? and that high-intensity pressing style is just not working out like pep planned 
it's like they're trying to put too much pressure on themselves, causing mistakes and goals conceded. I'm loving the hype around Arsenal tho 
if City can't get their act together, it's gonna be a wild ride in the title race 
. They're making it look so easy to slip up when they go behind, and with all these extra games from the Club World Cup and whatnot, I'm worried they won't be able to get back on track 
. It's not just fatigue, I think Pep's tactical changes are playing a big role too 
. They're like "oh look, we'll just press high and hope for the best" but really it's causing them to lose control 
. Meanwhile, Arsenal is just quietly raking up those points 
. It's gonna be a real challenge for City to stay on top of this now 
.
maybe he should just stick to the original plan instead of changing it every 5 minutes 
. And have you noticed how quickly they drop points when matches go into 2 halves? It's like they're intentionally giving up, if you ask me 
... maybe there's more going on behind the scenes than we're being told 
... I'm not saying it's a conspiracy or anything (although, let's be real, it feels suspicious 
)... but City's struggles just feel too convenient 
They're like a train that's lost its steam in the second half. And it's not just fatigue, Pep Lijnders' high-intensity pressing style is basically just a fancy way of saying "we don't know how to defend". I mean, 19 points worse in the second half compared to the first? That's like me expecting my coffee order to be perfect every time after the barista got it wrong last week 
. Fatigue is definitely a factor, but it can't be the only reason – that high-intensity pressing style has to be contributing to their problems 
. The stats are telling, and now everyone's looking at Arsenal as the new title contenders 
️.
. Pep's tactical changes might take some getting used to, but you can't just blame him for everything 
. The stats are definitely concerning, but don't count City out just yet 
. If they can find a balance between maintaining possession and defending effectively, I think they'll be back on track 
... maybe some adjustments to the team's fitness and training routine would help 
? Anyway, this is turning out to be a fascinating title race 
!
.
- it just ain't workin'! [
] Maybe Pep Lijnders should take a hint from City's first-half performances... 
maybe they can look at their opponent's strengths and weaknesses before the game and make some adjustments, like play more defensive when they know they're gonna have a tough time holding onto possession 
. Maybe Pep needs to tweak their pressing strategy or something? The stats are pretty clear that it's not working out as well as he thought... 
. If they can get their act together in the second half, they'll be back on top 
. Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to be riding the momentum 
️... it's gonna be a fun title chase!