Once again Manchester City scorned the chance to sit proudly at the summit of the Barclays Premier League having subjected themselves to a 0-0 draw against a team that they stuck seven past in the corresponding fixture at the Etihad back in November.
With Arsenal waving the title white flag by getting hammered 5-1 at Liverpool, the stage was set for City to go top with a routine victory at Carrow Road, a stadium where they have cashed-in in recent seasons.
Pellegrini selected probably his best available eleven and the opening stages were simply a procession to the Norwich end of the field where a canary-yellow wall worked hard to deny City any sight of, let alone shot on goal.
City sprayed the ball around but mainly spread it sideways and for all their possession they offered little in terms of a goal threat to a team that has tightened up at the back since their collapse at the Etihad, and for the second time in five days the league’s most potent strike force went on strike.
With Dzeko left on the bench, Pellegrini went with Negredo and Jovetic up front with the obvious intention of adding pace rather than the more laboured Dzeko, but today the quality was sadly lacking in midfield where Silva couldn’t get going enough to find space, where the quality of Navas’ crosses was abominable, where Yaya sat far too deep and where Milner was energetic but ineffective.
Too often either Negredo or Jovetic had to come hunting for the ball, leaving vacancies inside the Norwich penalty box. Too often there was nobody poaching in the happy hunting ground of the six-yard box and too often Norwich were allowed to retreat in numbers as City lacked the urgency that is needed to be champions.
In the first half both teams had the ball in the net, Norwich’s clearly offside and City’s less than an inch similar as a piece of cotton off Negredo’s shirt waved in the wind before a neat clip by Jovetic gave us an insight into his cool skills. And from City’s viewpoint that was that. There was not a single piece of football that could be described as a goal opportunity as all too often the Blues were forced to try their luck from distance as if in a coconut shy. Ruddy hardly had a save to make in the entire match.
The Canaries could have snatched in at the death when Redmond’s cross was missed by one Norwich striker and went behind the other to the relief of Kompany who today was far from his best. His usual assured football, often the rock upon which everything else is built, was missing. He did not appear to be administering any sort of leadership skills as by his side Demichelis on occasion lost concentration.
In front of him, the midfield passing was wasteful as City failed to command control at times, spending perhaps more time than usual trying to recover the football. I don’t think the Beast was fed all afternoon as Hughton’s men dug into their trenches keeping City in full view in front of them.
Negredo, too, seems to be laboured at present. Absent is the spark that gets him urgently into the six-yard box in time for Navas’ daisy cutting crosses and for once Navas didn’t seem to be able to read that or mix up his play enough to outfox his double-markers. Why constantly try to drill the ball into an unattended six-yard box when one or another of the strikers is hovering in space twelve yards out? Time and again the two up top looked stranded as the supply chain suffered arterial damage, Yaya not making a single attempt at one of his power-drives and the right hand side of City’s attack was well marshalled by sometimes three opponents who had Zaba’s diagonal runs blocked off.
Possibly the only City player showing complete confidence was Hart who fielded a variety of crosses and corners with consummate ease especially as Norwich, and in particular Redmond found joy down both flanks and set up one or two dangerous situations, indeed being profligate with probably the best chance of the match.
Pellegrini also made one of his more mystifying substitutions withdrawing Negredo for Kolarov, who one would have detailed to get wide and try to set up something aerial for Dzeko, but of the two efforts that fell Dzeko’s way, the first he headed out and the second lacked the conviction needed to get above the defender.
This was a really disappointing effort by City. There was no player who could be described as outstanding as they put on the mid-table type performance of the kind regularly on offer at a stadium just outside Manchester.
With Chelsea powering to the summit, it is more difficult to see where they are going to lose two more matches and let City off the hook. I have a feeling that Arsenal have “gone” now as once again they displayed an inability to cope with a team in the leading pack.
Two games without a goal constitutes a crisis at City and with Sunderland next up, they too will be looking to double-nil City before Chelsea re-visit the site of their best win and best performance of the season.
Negredo needs to get back on the front foot. Aguero is deeply missed. Without him there is no guile about City’s attack, no unpredictability. Sunderland will be without Brown which is probably a bonus based upon how well he played at the Stadium of Light, but they will also load the box trying to keep City deep and away from the massive Manone guarding the nets.
We look on with interest but this is not the time of the season to drop points when the Champions League and twice-a-week football is back on the horizon. City’s season can take a real backward step over the next three weeks if they do not arrest their current slip. This was the second match in succession where I couldn’t select a man-of-the-match for the Blues, so ineffective were they.
UPCOMING DATES FOR YOUR FILOFAX:
all times East Manchester GMT
We 12Feb 19h45 Sunderland, The Etihad, PL
Sa 15Feb 17h15 Chelsea, The Etihad, FAC5
Tu 18Feb 19h45 FC Barcelona, CLR16
Sa 22Feb 15h00 Stoke City, The Etihad, PL
Su 02Mar 14h00 Sunderland, Wembley, LCF
Sa 08Mar 15h00 Aston Villa, The Etihad, PL
We 12Mar 19h45 Barcelona, Nou Camp, CLR16
Sa 15Mar 2014 12h45 Hull, KC Stadium PL
Sa 22Mar 15h00, Fulham, The Etihad, PL
Tu 25Mar 19h45 The Stretfords, the swamp, PL
Sa 29Mar 17h30, Arsenal, The Emirates, PL
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