Crystal Palace handed Manchester Metropolis one other title-race setback at Selhurst Park on Saturday with a 2-2 draw and afterwards boss Oliver Glasner defined how he picked out weaknesses within the defending champions’ sport.
The consequence leaves Metropolis eight factors off prime spot, with Liverpool having a sport in hand, whereas Arsenal and Chelsea – each a degree forward of the title holders – might be itching to tug additional clear with London derbies stay on Sky Sports activities on Sunday.
With health points persevering with to restrict Pep Guardiola’s choices and stretch the gamers he does have accessible, Metropolis are up towards it. At Selhurst Park it grew to become obvious how opposition groups are plotting to harm Metropolis proper now.
Deliver the depth
“We knew we can play a higher intensity [than City], all the data showed this,” stated Glasner afterwards. “We knew when we get into the transitions we’d get in behind. When we get them running maybe they’d struggle a bit.
“Metropolis have a lot possession in each sport however they’re lowest in excessive depth and sprinting distances and we’re fifth or sixth within the league.
“Additionally, the video games they misplaced this season, they misplaced to very excessive intense groups: Bournemouth, Tottenham and Brighton [and Liverpool].
“We have been speaking about it – it is a power of ours, our depth, the runs we are able to make in behind with our wing-backs, our strikers and we thought this might assist us to win as a result of beating Metropolis with possession is just not really easy. I do not know many groups who can do that, so you must discover various things.
“These worked quite well – but it’s just a draw!”
Certainly the stats Glasner is referring to display his level. Going into this weekend, Man Metropolis ranked second-bottom within the Premier League for sprints this season.
Man Metropolis had been out-sprinted in 10 of their 14 video games going into this spherical of fixtures. In 4 of the six video games the place they’d been out-sprinted by the most important margin, they’d misplaced.
Seven of their eight victories have come after they’ve both out-run their opponents when it comes to distance lined or been inside 2km of their opponents.
After the draw, Guardiola highlighted the pressure on his squad proper now. “We played the last 15 mins with 10 vs 11 [after Rico Lewis’ red card]. We have seven potential starting XI players injured, a lot of players with [lots of] minutes [played], the physicality from Palace is there…”
Discovering area round Gundogan
Crystal Palace deliberate to use areas round Ilkay Gundogan
The absence of Rodri is often and rightly highlighted as a cause why Metropolis could be susceptible to the transitions and quick breaks Glasner mentions. An harm to Mateo Kovacic hasn’t helped both. And at 34 years previous Ilkay Gundogan is struggling out of possession to place out the fires.
With Metropolis taking part in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Glasner noticed the chance for his facet, with Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr taking part in off Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma in central midfield, to use the areas round an at-times remoted Gundogan.
Hughes assisted the opener from entering into that place.
“There was so much space on the opposite side next to Gundogan and we didn’t find this space so often,” stated Glasner. “We showed the players at half-time. You have one or two touches to be there. If we find this more often we can create more and more chances. The [first] goal was the space we want to find. We should do it more.
“While you play with one No 6, 4-1-4-1, like Metropolis is taking part in, there may be a variety of area on the left and proper of the No6, then it is how you discover this area. It may be by passing – Metropolis discovered this area by passing for his or her second objective. We discovered it on the primary objective. Typically you want the lengthy ball and go for the second ball.
“When we get our runners into pace and get the space, it’s not so easy to defend us. It was part of the idea to come into these spaces and one thing was long balls and going for long balls.”
Set-pieces
Man Metropolis had solely conceded as soon as from a set-piece earlier than Saturday however Glasner noticed a chance – and Palace capitalised with Maxence Lacroix rising above a rooted Kyle Walker to move in Hughes’ nook within the second half.
It’s an space of power for Palace – solely three groups have scored extra from dead-ball conditions this season – but additionally a probably untapped weak point of Metropolis, given the gamers they’re lacking in the meanwhile.
“They’re missing many good headers,” stated Glasner. “Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and Rodri – very tall players and good headers in defence. So attacking set plays was a big opportunity for us.”
With Metropolis’s issues laid naked, it’s clear their upcoming opponents are going to focus on related areas of weak point. Guardiola and his gamers must adapt – and hope that a few of their at the moment injured gamers can return quickly to assist resolve the issues.
