Manchester City suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday night thanks to two goals from Harvey Barnes, but Alan Shearer has concerns for the former champions.
Manchester City have been warned by manager Alan Shearer that their shaky defending could derail their title bid, raising doubts whether the former Premier League champions can repeat their former dominance.
Josep Guardiola’s side have been top dogs in the country almost since he joined the club, even making history by winning four straight titles before last year’s shocking collapse, paving the way for Liverpool to snatch the Premier League crown. City have rebuilt and look in the best position to challenge Arsenal at the top, but they dropped a crucial point in the title race against Newcastle on Saturday night.
The Magpies’ 2-1 win at St James’ Park means Arsenal have a chance to extend their six-point lead at the top of the table into Sunday’s north London derby.
read more: Alan Shearer hits back at Pep Guardiola after clash between Man City manager and Newcastle starread more: Man City star demands rule change following Newcastle controversy, Ruben Dias furious at VAR
And while it would be incredibly brave or foolish to exclude City from contention for the title at this point, Shearer believes Guardiola and his team may not be able to regain their previous dominance in the Premier League.
“They’re certainly not as good as they used to be and we may never see them as good as they were during that unbelievable run,” Shearer told Premier League Productions.
“So the standard they set in terms of winning trophies and goals and everything else was great and I don’t know if we’ll ever see them reach that standard again.
“Without the great Rodri and the protection he gives in that team, they are certainly not the same team. I don’t know if they would have replaced him yet. Probably not if they could find a player as good.”
“But the concern for me is defensively. Especially with Haaland up front, they’re always trying to score goals, but defensively they’re certainly not as sharp as they used to be.”
City have conceded just 10 goals in their last 12 games, the third-best record in the Premier League, but Shearer pointed out that Newcastle opened up the opposition at will, particularly in the second half.
He added: “I can understand (Guardiola’s) frustration because the team lost in the second half and played well. They didn’t create many chances. Immediately after the game he was not in the mood. I’ve seen teams lose really tough games, but what worries me is not the referee’s decisions or bad luck, but how many chances they give up.”
“If Newcastle had put on the shooting boots they could have scored six or seven points. They used four absolute players. How they cut through City will be a bigger concern for me.”
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