In his five years as Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has only opted not to use a single substitute in four matches. Three of those matches have taken place this season, the latest being the goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night.
The three other times he finished with the same eleven that started the game, City had scored early and largely controlled the games – the 1-0 win at Brentford and 2-0 win at Manchester United this season, and the 2-0 home win over Fulham last season. That is where Guardiola’s decision not to turn to his bench at Selhurst Park differs, and why plenty of City fans have questioned the fact that he did not change personnel in order to try to change the game.
Guardiola ’s case for not doing so was simple and valid – the Blues were in command of the game and playing with a “high, high rhythm”. The fact that City were twice denied by the woodwork, and missed four great chances to win the match further vindicates the manager’s decision.
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But that is no consolation to those players on the bench who will have been itching to get on the field and influence the outcome. And when Guardiola explained his reasoning afterwards, he said that he had considered sending on Gabriel Jesus or Ilkay Gundogan but decided against it.
The fact that Raheem Sterling – a man who has 127 goals for City – was not even mentioned has to cast doubt over his current standing at City. The England star’s only appearance in the last four games has been in the virtual dead-rubber game against Sporting Lisbon, when the Blues had a 5-0 lead from the first leg.
It may be that Guardiola simply forgot to mention Sterling when he proffered Gundogan and Jesus as players he thought of when pondering whether to make a switch. But that in itself represents quite a stumble for Sterling.
You hesitate to call it a fall because it is only recently that everyone was eulogising about Sterling, and how he had regained his mojo after his poor showing last season and a slow start to this. He had scored 12 goals in 18 games and was one of the Blues’ most in-form stars.
Now he seems to be back to where he was in the summer, when there was genuine speculation that he could leave, fuelled by his own statement that if he is not playing regularly he could be forced to seek employment elsewhere. Football can quickly change, and few would bet against Sterling both starting and starring for the Blues in Sunday’s trip to play Southampton in the FA Cup. But the way things stand, Sterling’s whole City future would seem to be up in the air.
Guardiola has already hinted at big changes this summer, and that clearly involved not only the arrival of Julio Alvarez but – as long as things continue to progress well – Erling Haaland as well. Even taking into account the departure of Ferran Torres, that would leave the Blues a little top heavy, especially as they will seek to phase in Cole Palmer to greater first team involvement.
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Right now, Sterling is the prime candidate to make the cut, partly because he personally will not be happy with his inaction and the way the manager did not even seem to contemplate him as a player who could have influenced the Palace result, but also because it increasingly feels like his time at City is spent.
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