Manchester City recently showcased a dominant performance, defeating Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium. This victory reduced Arsenal's lead in the Premier League to four points. Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku scored for City during Pep Guardiola's 1,000th managerial game. Ruben Dias emphasised that City's resurgence has been developing over time rather than being a sudden change.
Despite Ruben Dias' assertion that Manchester City's recent success is not new, their playing style has evolved this season. In four of their 11 Premier League matches, they have had less than 50% possession. Only in the 2020-21 season did they experience this more frequently under Guardiola. During the match against Liverpool, they recorded a 49.2%
possession rate.
City endured a challenging 2024-25 season, finishing third with their lowest points tally under Guardiola. They accumulated only 71 points, secured 21 wins, and scored 72 goals. However, Dias highlighted that the team's improvement is not unexpected. "This is not new," he told Sky Sports. "We've been talking about a rebuild since last season. "
Jeremy Doku was instrumental in City's win over Liverpool, scoring a stunning goal in the 63rd minute to seal the victory. The Belgian excelled on the field with 11 touches in the opponent's penalty area and three shots on target. He also created three chances for his team, leading all players in these metrics.
Pep Guardiola celebrated his milestone of managing 1,000 games with an impressive record of 716 wins across various clubs including Barcelona B, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. Of these victories, 388 were achieved with City. Ruben Dias expressed his happiness for Guardiola's achievement: "I'm very happy for Pep," he said.
Doku expressed his joy after the match: "These games are always more beautiful to play in," he said. He credited his teammates for boosting his confidence and mentioned Ruben Dias as a motivating force: "I've got great players around me, like Ruben. He pushes me every day. "
The current season has seen new faces join Manchester City while maintaining high quality on the pitch. Dias stressed the importance of teamwork: "We need everyone together," he stated. He recalled how attention to detail contributed to past successes before he joined the club.
As Manchester City continues its campaign this season, maintaining momentum will be crucial for achieving their goals. With key players like Doku stepping up and contributing significantly alongside seasoned talents like Dias and Haaland, City aims to keep pushing forward.
