Carabao Defense Starts Now

The defending Carabao Cup Champions, Manchester City, travel the 165 miles south on Tuesday. Taking on League One side Oxford, the Blues will be looking to make it two away wins from two. Of course the reality is that Pep Guardiola will heavily rotate his side from the side that defeated Cardiff on Saturday.

Raking the competitions in order of importance, this one would be the last one on the list, and first one to be sacrificed if need be. That said, winning a trophy in March does tend to give any side a boost for the final stretch. So, how will Pep line up his side?

Talking Points From Fulham Win

Pep Guardiola’s side moved up to third, and remained undefeated after hosting Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday. One of only three sides in the Premier League to remain undefeated, with Liverpool and Chelsea the other two, with five wins from five. Previously I had posted the player ratings, with Bernardo Silva being my man of the match. Now though I want to talk about some of the interesting points from the game.

It certainly was a positive performance and a good result to get before we head into Champions League football against Lyon on Wednesday, but what did that performance tell us about Pep Guardiola and his side?

Predicted Lineup For Newcastle

The late game on Saturday will see Manchester City with an opportunity to put their Premier League trophy defense back on track. Last weekend was a slight disappointment for the Blues fans, although Wolves really played their part.

I had stated earlier that you could point to a couple of incidents which didn't go our way, but essentially Wolves played very well, and should be a test for other sides this season.

Manchester City Molineux Player Rating

It was always going to be a tough game for the Blues. Wolverhampton Wanderers, at their own ground, had nothing to lose. But there was more to their game than that, and it would be disingenuous to say that Manchester City were poor. 

Although City were far from their free flowing best, it was down to the way Wolves played which thwarted a lot of Pep Guardiola’s plans. Yes you could point to the handball goal which was allowed to stand and the penalty which wasn’t given, but these were all decisions which were, in real-time and without VAR, not easily spotted. So how did the players rate?

Blues Top Table After SIX-sational Performance

Manchester City moved to their rightful place, atop the Premier League table, with a 6-1 victory over Huddersfield. I think the Terriers will find it much more difficult this season from last and were my pre-season tip to be relegated. 

That said, you can only beat whats put out in front of you. Focusing on Manchester City's performance only, you cannot be anything other than excited. So, having focused on player ratings last time (link found toward the bottom of the page) now its time for what was learnt.

Classy City Sweep Aside Terriers - Players Rated

Manchester City made it two for two at the weekend with a sublime performance against Huddersfield Town on Sunday. On a day which saw players from the 1987, 10-1 demolition invited back to City, Peps boys put on a celebratory display.

In a later article I will look at the different talking points from the game. For now though, lets get down to the player ratings. There were a number of fine performances, and even an appearance from young Phil Foden, something I had suggested might happen in my preview a few days ago.

Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne Injured

He came on for 30 minutes last weekend, just in time to see Bernardo Silva double the Blues lead. It was meant to be a slow introduction back into the pace of the Premier League for KDB, who had just returned to the side.

Having been part of the Belgium side to secure third spot in the recent World Cup, his subsequent vacation had seen him miss taking part in the Community Shield victory seven days prior. He would surely have got his first start this weekend against Huddersfield before injuring himself during training.

Silva Says 'Adios' To National Side

It has been quite a past few months for David Silva. Lifting the Premier League trophy with Manchester City came five months after his son was born extremely prematurely.

In December it was announced he was unavailable for selection and had returned to Spain for 'personal reasons' A little over a week later and it was announced that little Matteo was fighting for his life.