Injuries continue to haunt Manchester City. Pep Guardiola announced after the lost league match with Bournemouth (2-1) that Rubén Dias and John Stones will be sidelined until the international break. That is precisely why the Spanish tactician was so happy with Nathan Aké, who made his return to the Premier League.
Aké had not played any minutes in the English competition since August 31 due to a hamstring injury sustained at the Dutch team. The 29-year-old defender already made an appearance against Sparta Prague (Champions League) and Tottenham Hotspur (League Cup), followed by his return to the Premier League against Bournemouth on Saturday. And that was desperately needed, because with Dias and Stones, two other central defenders were missing from the selection due to injuries.
Although City suffered its first defeat of the season with Aké in defense, Guardiola praised the attitude of the Dutch international and that of fellow defender Manuel Akanji. “It was great that Manu and Nathan were there,” the manager said afterwards. ‘Manu and Nathan were not very fit. Until the last moment I didn’t know if Nathan could play, but he wanted to try. After the 2-0 I changed him, we need him again on Tuesday.’
This way the flush remains thin at City. Captain Kyle Walker returned to the starting line-up after a month’s absence, Jeremy Doku made his return as a substitute and the fit-again Kevin De Bruyne remained on the bench. On the other hand, there is the loss of Dias and Stones. “Some players still lack match rhythm, but we know that,” Guardiola responded. ‘This happens more often in some seasons than in others. We have to deal with it.’
Man City’s 32-match unbeaten run came to an end at the hands of Bournemouth ✋
Here is how their impressive record compares to the Premier League’s longest undefeated streaks pic.twitter.com/WDDd38gO5t
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 2, 2024
That didn’t work against Bournemouth. After the League Cup match with Spurs, City appeared less fresh than their opponent and saw an end to a series of 32 PL matches without defeat. “We couldn’t match their intensity,” Guardiola said. ‘We had difficulty building up and could not keep up with the high pace. Usually we can deal with those kinds of situations, but not today. Sometimes you have to accept that the opponent is better.’
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