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Manchester City's title defense got off to the worst start possible as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham in Game week 1 of their 2021-22 Premier League campaign.
Despite dominating the game in terms of possession, Manchester City could not break down Nuno Espirito Santo's Tottenham side. They ultimately fell to a defeat courtesy of a second-half striker from Heung-min Son.
Pep Guardiola opted to start the game without a recognized striker, as Ferran Torres led the line for the Cityzens. His gameplan backfired as the Spaniard often cut an isolated figure throughout the game. Star man Kevin De Bruyne also started from the bench, but came on in the second-half. However, even though the Belgian midfielder looked sharp, he found it difficult to impose his will on the game.
The game was fairly even throughout, but the lack of clinicality ended up being Manchester City's downfall in the end. Despite the loss, however, some players did end up putting in decent performances for Pep Guardiola's side.
So without further ado, here are
Manchester City's top 5 players from GW 1 of the Premier League
#5 Ilkay Gundogan
Ilkay Gundogan put in an all-action performance for Manchester City against Tottenham. The midfielder did well to try and control the tempo of the game, whilst also sticking to his defensive duties.
In an attacking sense, Gundogan kept causing problems with his runs into the box from midfield, but lacked the final product to make it count on the night. The German battled well against Tottenham Hotspur's midfielders and helped keep Manchester City on the front foot throughout the game while in possession.
Gundogan also made a great goal-line block from a Lucas Moura strike to keep Spurs from going 2-0 up early in the second half. The City star suffered an injury scare during the dying moments of the game as he looked to have hurt his shoulder after a collision with Sergio Reguilon. Pep Guardiola will hope it's not as serious as it looked at the time, as the German is a vital part of his midfield.
#4 Jack Grealish
Manchester City's record signing Jack Grealish can be proud of his Premier League debut for his new club despite the loss. The England international played in an unfamiliar No. 8 role against Tottenham and provided City with a creative spark and attacking flair from midfield.
As per usual, Grealish was the most fouled player in the game due to his quick feet and agility on the ball. The Englishman constantly drove at Tottenham's defense and tried to cause problems in and around the box. However, he was guilty of overplaying the ball at times and also could not find the end-product for all his good work.
As far as debuts go, Pep Guardiola should be happy with Grealish's contribution against Spurs. If this is a sign of things to come, one can expect the Englishman to be a huge hit at Manchester City this season.
#3 Ruben Dias
Manchester City's Ruben Dias was unfortunately partly to blame for Tottenham's goal, but the Portuguese defender put in an otherwise commanding display on the night.
Dias looked untroubled against Tottenham's attack, barring when he lost his balance in the build-up to their goal. The defender continuously tried to spray passes all over the field and was generally good in his distribution, having completed 88% of his passes.
Dias also made 7 recoveries as he used his mobility and physicality to keep Tottenham's attackers at arm's length on multiple occasions. It is clear to see that the defender has picked back up from where he left off last season and will be a huge part of Pep Guardiola's title defense this campaign.
#2 Joao Cancelo
Manchester City's main attacking threat, Joao Cancelo, was an absolute menace to Tottenham's defense during the game. The full-back constantly bombed down the right flank and caused problems for the likes of Steven Bergwijn and Sergio Reguilon.
Cancelo's interplay with Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez was very difficult for Tottenham to handle at times. The full-back also created 3 chances during the game, whipping in dangerous crosses into the box, however, his teammates were unable to convert them into goals.
Cancelo also stuck to his defensive duties well, despite having problems dealing with Bergwijn at times. However, like most of his teammates, his energy and potency started fading as the second-half wore on.
The Portuguese defender showed why he is one of the best full-backs in the league and is set to have another stellar season at Manchester City
#1 Fernandinho
Fernandinho basically saved Manchester City from being humiliated by Tottenham. Often left exposed by his midfield partners, the Manchester City captain rolled back the years with his performance on the night as he thwarted Spurs' attacks on multiple occasions.
The Brazilian played the role of 'The Destroyer' in midfield perfectly, ending the game with the most tackles by any player. Fernandinho also made 11 ball recoveries and won 6 aerial duels despite his stature. Even more impressive was the fact that the midfielder only conceded one foul throughout the game despite doing most of the dirty work in Manchester City's midfield.
With Kevin De Bruyne inevitably returning to the starting XI in the near future, Pep Guardiola will have a selection headache on his hands following the 36-year old's performance against Tottenham.
