November 2nd 2024.
In a surprising turn of events, Manchester City has suffered their first loss of the season in the Premier League. Manager Pep Guardiola has come under scrutiny for his decision to start Kyle Walker against Bournemouth, especially after the defender had only trained for a mere six minutes before the match.
The game on Saturday proved to be a shock for City fans, as they were defeated 2-1 on the south coast. Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and Evanlison put them in the lead, and despite a goal from Josko Gvardiol for City, the Cherries managed to hold on to their lead and secure their first-ever win against the Citizens.
The loss not only affected City's record, but it also saw them knocked off the top spot in the Premier League table, with rivals Liverpool taking over after their 2-1 win against Brighton.
Injuries and fitness issues have been plaguing City in recent times, with key players such as Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias, and John Stones missing the trip to Bournemouth. However, one player who did play the full 90 minutes was Walker, a surprise decision by Guardiola considering the manager had previously stated that the right-back had "no chance to play the next games" due to missing previous matches.
Walker's performance on the pitch was lackluster, and it was evident that he was not fully ready to start the game. Guardiola confirmed this in his post-match interview, revealing that the player had not trained for almost three weeks prior to the Bournemouth loss.
"Kyle, his last game was with the national team to reach 100 games and since then could not train one session," Guardiola told reporters. "19 days he didn't train with us until yesterday. Yesterday he did six minutes. It's what it is. Accept it."
The manager also revealed that other defenders, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, were also playing through injuries, which he believes played a significant role in the defeat.
Despite the setbacks, Walker refused to use the injuries as an excuse for their loss. He acknowledged that there were players on the bench and starting lineup who were fit to play, and ultimately, Bournemouth deserved the win.
"We have to give full credit to Bournemouth and move on, move onto the next one," Walker said. "To come here and not get the win is always disappointing."
He also emphasized the importance of playing with emotion, especially in a game where injuries and fatigue were factors. In the last ten minutes, City showed some fight and almost managed to equalize, but ultimately, the 2-0 lead proved too much to overcome.
Looking ahead, City will be looking to bounce back from their recent defeats as they face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in their next game. They will need to regroup and find a way to overcome their injury struggles if they want to have a successful season.
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