Ever since Ballon d’Or winner Rodri suffered a major injury, setbacks have come one after another. It’s becoming increasingly unlikely for the Spanish midfielder to return to peak condition, and elite defensive midfielders like Caicedo are extremely rare. Although Manchester City brought in players like González and Reijnders, the team’s long-standing “no midfield shield” issue remains unsolved.
In Premier League Round 14, Manchester City edged Fulham 5–4 in a wild thriller. What looked like an easy 5–1 victory nearly turned disastrous as Fulham fought back to 5–4. Neutral fans enjoyed the spectacle; City fans lived through panic.
Combined with last week’s 3–2 comeback win over Leeds, City have now secured two straight Premier League victories, scoring 8 goals in the process. Impressive—but they’ve also conceded 6 goals in those same two matches (4 per game). Is the defense the real problem?
Not exactly.
Even with Donnarumma—one of the best goalkeepers in the modern game—City’s back line cannot survive without midfield protection. Football simply doesn’t work if the defensive shield disappears. The holding midfielder’s role in intercepting, tackling, and shielding the center-backs is irreplaceable.
But:
- González has struggled heavily in defensive duties
- Reijnders runs a lot, but contributes very little defensively
(A huge heat map doesn’t mean effective defending)
No wonder fans joked:
“Now we understand why Donnarumma earns so much—he’s exhausted every match!”
City may be winning, but their midfield weakness is a ticking time bomb.
