The Man of the Match Peterborough vs. Manchester City is Phil Foden Manchester City is definitely not a worthy match for Peterborough. No wonder that Josep Guardiola's troops were able to come out as winners with a score of 2-0 from the FA Cup fifth-round match on Wednesday (2/3/2022). This victory cannot be separated from the role of Mahrez and Grealish as goal scorers. However, the title of man of the match deserves to be given to Phil Foden as an assist provider in both goals. Whoscored gave an almost perfect rating for the 21-year-old man, nine. No wonder because his contribution in this match was more than just an assist for Mahrez and Grealish. According to records, Foden fired two shots during the game and completed 50 of 56 passes. Four of them became key bait for his teammates. Foden also recorded four successful dribbles from six attempts. Not to forget, he helped the defense line that rarely received threats from the hosts with one tackle and one intercept. The Citizens made a pretty striking rotation for the match, which was held at the ABAX Stadium. Important players like Bernardo Silva, Aymeric Laporte, and Kevin de Bruyne were saved for the next game against Manchester United. Because of the rotation, Manchester City finds it difficult to score goals. However, they continued to dominate possession from the start and created many dangerous chances. One golden opportunity occurred in the 43rd minute. Gabriel Jesus managed to reach Ilkay Gundogan's cross. Unfortunately, his efforts failed to make the ball nest into the host's goal. In the end, Manchester City had to accept the fact that Peterborough was able to stem their attack. The first half ended with a 1-1 draw. Manchester City made changes in the heart of the defense before the second half began. Guardiola fielded John Stones and Aymeric Laporte to replace Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. The match restarted. As in the previous round, The Citizens still controlled the game. But Peterborough's defense was too difficult for the defending Premier League champions to penetrate. The deadlock was finally broken when the game entered the 60th minute. Riyad Mahrez made the home fans speechless through his goal, taking advantage of Phil Foden's assist. Manchester City was winning 1-0. Jack Grealish caught Mahrez onto the scoreboard and put Manchester City 2-0 up seven minutes later. Foden again played a supporting role in this goal by assisting the former Aston Villa. The two-goal advantage does not necessarily make Manchester City complacent. They created dangerous chances to chase the third goal. Unfortunately, their 2-0 advantage did not change until the long whistle sounded.
Lessons from Man City's Victory Manchester City beat Everton 1-0 in the 2021/22 Premier League duel, Goodison Park, Sunday (27/2/2022). This time Josep Guardiola's troops were lucky enough to get full points. Man City is clearly difficult to dismantle the Everton defence that played neatly and effectively. Only in the 82nd minute, Man City can score a goal through the action of Phil Foden. However, Everton screamed in frustration at not getting a penalty a few minutes later. It was clear that Rodri touched the ball with his hand in the box. However, the referee and VAR could not decide Rodri really was handball, so a penalty was not awarded. Man City finally managed to lock an important victory. Victory is still a victory. Guardiola and his team wrapped up three crucial points in the competition to be champions. Apart from that, there are at least some lessons left from Man City's victory this time around. Anything? Man City clearly looks difficult to break down the Everton defence. Frank Lampard's troops played very neatly, especially in the first half. Everton already knows the strength of Man City. So, they closed the gaps on both sides of the wing and forced Man City to flow attacks through the middle. Everton's defensive pattern was effective for most of the game until finally, they made a fatal mistake which was rewarded with a Phil Foden goal. Even so, it is clear that Man City are struggling to face a team that defends well. Man City's goal this time was fairly lucky. They kept on trying and trying until finally, Foden found a wild ball resulting from chaos. Guardiola himself admitted there was a bit of luck behind Man City's goal. Even so, that luck was possible because they kept trying. Pep Guardiola's men played a certain way, and Pickford made a good save. The problem is not to give up, to try again and again. Rodri's handball is one of the biggest controversies of this match. Replays clearly showed that the ball touched Rodri's hand. Unfortunately, the referee and VAR could not make a unanimous decision. In the end, the penalty was not awarded, Everton had to lose, and Frank Lampard looked very annoyed. They did not award a penalty when the ball touched Rodri's arm in an unnatural position. I have a three-year-old daughter at home who can explain a penalty. This victory did not come easily for Man City. They were dominant and had the ball but looked difficult against a well-defended Everton. Man City hit a stalemate in the first half. Fortunately, Guardiola asked his team to increase the intensity in the second half and managed to break the deadlock. Pep Guardiola has to admit that this win is vital. Everton played better in the second half because of the consequences of the appearance in the first half. Everton deserves sympathy for this defeat. They have played very well applied the right tactics, unfortunately still lost due to lack of luck. Rodri's handball incident was clearly detrimental to Everton. They should have had a chance to equalize. It is this incident that seems to have made Frank Lampard very upset. Even VAR wasn't sure, so the referee should have seen the replay. This is incompetence; otherwise, someone will have to explain what happened.