With a majority of the plaudits heading Erling Haaland’s way this season,
several other Manchester City players’ displays have perhaps slipped under the radar.
However, City are sitting atop of the Premier League table with three wins out of three games due to
them firing on all cylinders as a collective rather than just an individual player’s performance.
Pep Guardiola’s men have looked even sharper than they looked at the start of last season.
At the same stage during the 2023/2024 campaign, while Manchester City had also
won their first three games, they had conceded the same number of goals (two) and scored two fewer (six as compared to eight).
Their third victory needed Rodri to score a screamer at the
dying embers of the clash for City to defeat newly-promoted Sheffield United.
This season, on the other hand, the Sky Blues have been in cruise control in each of their outings.
Stephen Warnock makes an intriguing claim about Mateo Kovacic
One of the players who has perhaps had one of the most challenging tasks at hand is Mateo Kovacic.
The £150,000-a-week man has been tasked to deputize in Rodri’s absence out of position as a holding midfielder.
However, the 30-year-old has stepped up to the task and has even been
nominated for the Etihad Player of the Month award alongside Haaland and Rico Lewis.
The Croatian has started in every game for City this campaign,
continuing from last season’s title run-in where he became an integral part of the side.
When quizzed about whether Manchester City are debunking the claim about them not being the same team in Rodri’s absence, Stephen Warnock claimed Kovacic does not get the praise he deserves.
Warnock told Sky Sports: “So far, yeah, so far they are. Rodri’s the one in the big games, the one who senses danger against the bigger teams. I think of a lot people do a disservice to [Mateo] Kovacic. I think Kovacic is an outstanding player.”
“Needed to perhaps understand the system better but I think when you throw out stats like that and people talk about Rodri all the time, there’s an element where Kovacic will be sat there thinking, ‘Hang about, I can do a good job for Manchester City’ so he’ll be upping his game knowing that people are talking that away.”
“But there’s no doubt that City are a better team when Rodri comes back into it and that’ll make them all the more stronger.”
Mateo Kovacic was brilliant for Man City against West Ham again
In Manchester City’s latest 3-1 win against West Ham,
Kovacic was one of the best players on the pitch yet again.
As per Sofascore, the former Chelsea midfielder won five out of his seven ground duels
and completed 96% of his passes (93 out of 97).
Kovacic dictated proceedings while also extinguishing the Hammers’ fast breaks time and again.
The decorated technician carried the ball wonderfully well as well and formed a stellar partnership in the middle of the park with Bernardo Silva.
Kovacic seems to have made a lot of improvements in his game as a number six,
especially in terms of his positioning and his anticipation of danger.
Perhaps Stephen Warnock makes a fair point about the ex-Real Madrid maestro not getting the appreciation he deserves for how his excellent displays have meant City have not missed Rodri so far.