Despite an all-conquering start to the Premier League season, Pep Guardiola is approaching the business part of the season and that brings about a lot of decisions.
His Manchester City side will play 12 matches between now and New Year’s Eve and injuries to key players will test even this City side’s resolve.
Benjamin Mendy’s long-term absence has not been too badly felt by City with Fabian Delph proving a more than adequate replacement. However, it is interesting to hear Guardiola explain why he has dispensed with the 3-5-2 formation of late following Mendy’s injury, stating that the 4-3-3 City tend to use now allows the necessary width that Mendy used to provide.
However, with John Stones out for the majority of the games coming up there is an added pressure on Vincent Kompany to stay fit and others to step up to the plate if City are continue to perform at the highest level.
Nicolas Otamendi has improved immensely but there will still be question marks as to whether he can do it without Stones alongside him. Eliaquim Mangala is still not fully trusted by his manager and certainly not the fans and while Tosin Adarabioyo looks the part when called upon he is still only 20 and yet to feature in the Premier League. City certainly don’t want another Stefan Savić scenario on their hands.
On paper the short trip to Huddersfield should not provide City with too stern a test but Guardiola will be quick to impress upon is players that it is by no means a guaranteed win, especially given the flat performance mid-week against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
The Terriers have been far more effective at home than away and City fans will not be forgetting the joy they felt when their rivals down the road came a cropper earlier in the campaign.
A cold, hostile atmosphere will wait City and Pep will want his team on the front foot from the get-go.
David Wagner is a shrewd coach and will have seen signs in City’s performance at Leicester (albeit limited ones) that he will hope his team can exploit.
With only three weeks until the first Manchester derby, Guardiola will be drilling into his side the importance of maintaining their lead at the top of the table.
