Akanji’s Wobbly Rhythm Raises Fitness Concerns for Man City
Manuel Akanji’s performance against Chelsea sparked worries about Manchester City’s fitness, despite Pep Guardiola attributing it to a lack of rhythm.
Filling in for John Stones at center-back and shifting into midfield as Stones often does, Akanji struggled to make his usual impact.
While Guardiola praised his second-half improvement, he later returned to the topic, suggesting deeper concerns.
Stones’ absence was for “fitness management,” but Guardiola’s focus seemed more on Akanji’s recent injury impacting his rhythm.
He hinted at broader issues by mentioning Jack Grealish’s brief appearance before succumbing to injury, suggesting players might not be “fully fit.”
Akanji acknowledged improvement needed in midfield but attributed it to learning the position, not fitness.
However, this doesn’t quell concerns, especially with Stones and Bernardo Silva also rested due to fitness worries.
Guardiola downplayed clean sheet woes, prioritizing limiting chances as a better defensive indicator.
He stressed winning over clean sheets but conceded they need to improve defensive awareness to concede fewer goals.