The Manchester City attacking threat is being undermined by a frustrating issue

The Manchester City attacking threat is being undermined by a frustrating issue Manchester City have frustratingly lost their past two Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Brighton. Errors at the back have cost City dearly as the three goals they’ve conceded in their 2-1 loss at Villa Park and their 1-0 defeat to Brighton at the Etihad all came courtesy of mistakes made by Marc Guehi, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Matheus Nunes. Those individual errors must be ironed of Manchester City’s play. Also, Enzo Maresca’s side have created more than enough clear-cut chances to win both games. However, City have failed to take their chances which highlights an issue with this City squad. Manchester City have created more than enough chances to profit against Aston Villa and Brighton. Setting the defensive errors aside, Manchester City have created more than enough chances to pick up results against Aston Villa and Brighton. The statistics from both matches illustrate this. In City’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa , they had 15 shots on goal and created four big chances. Enzo Maresca’s side had an Expected Goals (XG) of 1.56 at Villa Park. However, City failed to take their chances. Villa had two shots on target and scored both. That ultimately decided the game. Against Brighton, it was the same story. Manchester City had 21 shots on goal to Brighton’s 7 . City created 5 big chances to Brighton’s 4 with an XG of 1.64. Ultimately, Enzo Maresca’s side wasted too many chances against Fabian Hurzeler’s side. Aston Villa and Brighton benefited from goalkeepers making vital saves. Zion Suzuki and Bart Verbruggen were both in inspired form. Both keepers made a series of stunning saves to their teams’ benefit. This can happen as is the way of football. However, you do wonder where Manchester City’s consistent goal threat lies outside of Erling Haaland. Antoine Semenyo is sidelined until December due to a knee injury. He is City’s most consistent goal threat outside of Haaland. His presence has been missed against Villa and Brighton. Neither Iliman Ndiaye nor Jeremy Doku have been prolific scorers during their careers. Ndiaye was unlucky against Villa, hitting the post on several occasions. He was at it against Brighton. Ndiaye needs to start finishing his chances. He is capable of doing so. However, getting into great positions and finishing the team’s work are two different skills. There is a clear area that Iliman Ndiaye must improve. Jeremy Doku got himself into great positions against Aston Villa and Brighton. However, his end product was sorely lacking. In terms of beating defenders in both matches, Doku was elite. However, his delivery, decision making and attempts on goal were off. Hopefully, Doku can pick up these areas of his game as Manchester City are infinitely more dangerous when Doku is on. As the past two games have illustrated when he has been off, so to speak. Enzo Maresca’s side needs players other than Erling Haaland to bury their opportunities, especially if Foden and Cherki don’t start. Erling Haaland is Manchester City’s primary goalscorer. He always will be. However, he cannot carry that burden on his own. Haaland, and Manchester City, need his teammates to step up. Against Brighton, Enzo Maresca opted to start Ayoubb Bouaddi, Enzo Fernandez, and Elliot Anderson in midfield. In the case of Bouaddi and Anderson, goals are not their forte. Enzo Fernandez can be a goalscorer when played in his ideal role. However, against Villa and Brighton he didn’t get into the right areas to add another attacking option for Enzo Maresca’s side. With Antoine Semenyo sidelined, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden are Manchester City’s biggest goal threats outside of Erling Haaland. Both players have a sense of goal from midfield. You do feel that either player, or both, has to be on the pitch with Semenyo unavailable. If Maresca opts not to start Cherki or Foden, other players like Ndiaye and Doku have to step up in front of goal. It is as simple as that. Manchester City’s goalscoring burden cannot consistently fall on Erling Haaland. If it does, games like City’s loss to Brighton will become more common if Haaland is subdued. Manchester City are creating more than enough chances to profit. That was a positive to take from their defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton. However, Enzo Maresca’s side needs players to step up and take their chances. If this changes, City will quickly end their two-game losing run in the Premier League. Whether or not this occurs sooner rather than later may dictate when Manchester City return to winning ways.