Manchester City 1-1 West Brom: 5 talking points as Citizens drop points again | Premier League 2020-21

Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League
Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League

#3 Former Manchester United man steals a point from City

When 27-year-old Sam Johnstone stepped onto the pitch on Tuesday night, he knew he would need to have one of the best days of his career to keep Manchester City at bay.

Much to the joy of West Brom fans, the Manchester United academy product was simply sensational as he thwarted away two headed efforts from close range in the dying moments of the match to secure a draw for his team.

Manchester City would have stolen all three points on just about any other evening, but Johnstone was not to be beaten on this occasion.


#2 Could Pep Guardiola's job finally be under threat?

Guardiola finds himself under tremendous pressure
Guardiola finds himself under tremendous pressure

Manchester City have now accumulated just 20 points from 12 matches in the Premier League this season, a very poor return for a club of their stature.

Moreover, they have been nowhere near their usual high standards in terms of performance on the pitch, which has led to many fans doubting Pep Guardiola's job security.

The Spaniard has never been sacked in his managerial career before. However, with games coming thick and fast, he needs to come up with a quick solution to all the problems if he wants to retain his high-paying job.


#1 Manchester City might need a change in formation

It might be time to start Jesus and Aguero together
It might be time to start Jesus and Aguero together

The root of all of Manchester City's problems is ultimately their sudden impotency in front of goal. One of the reasons could be their lack of goalscoring threat from midfield.

Guardiola has often deployed a double-pivot consisting of any two of Rodri, Fernandinho, and Ilkay Gundogan this season. However, that approach seems rather conservative given the status quo.

Perhaps the Manchester City manager should tweak things a little to allow Kevin De Bruyne some more freedom in the middle of the park.

With Sergio Aguero returning from injury, a two-man strike force of both Jesus and the Argentine could be what Manchester City need to rediscover their goalscoring form. They could perhaps revert back to the 3-5-2 they played at times in the memorable 2017-18 season.


Also Read: Manchester City News Roundup: Cityzens considering move for Juventus ace, Raheem Sterling send warning to title rivals, and more - 15th December 2020

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