Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has acknowledged that the form of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden is "a concern", but Pep Guardiola is right to believe that his Citizens side have a "bright future", despite losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool last weekend.
In what has been a turbulent 2024-25 campaign, Man City sit fourth and have fallen a whopping 20 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, after goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai helped the Reds breeze to victory at the Etihad Stadium and move one step closer to winning the same title City have lifted in the previous four seasons.
"Yeah [City] were (second best)," McInerney told Sports Mole following Sunday's defeat. "It's never nice to lose to a greater side like Liverpool and especially one that we've gone head-to-head with for so many years and come out best. But I think that game was probably a very fair reflection of where we are.
"I'm quite relaxed about where City are. It was frustrating but I felt ultimately we did the best that we could with the collection of player that we have (available).
"[Mohamed] Salah was too good for us. [Virgil] Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate were just too good for City. Liverpool had their key winners available and City didn't.
"I can't help but feel that if Rodri and [Erling] Haaland were available - and I know ifs and buts and so on - an attacking midfielder was in form which isn't Foden or De Bruyne right now, and a settled defence, it's probably a very different game. It's just that lack of extra quality I reckon is holding City back right now.
"As much as it was a painful defeat, it just felt fair. I didn't feel hard done by it and it felt like that's just the level we're at right now.
"It's a bit sobering, but it's the reality and I sort of made my peace with that... We need that quality that [Liverpool have] got to keep a clean sheet and to score a goal because that's mainly where they beat us, that added extra bit of quality".
De Bruyne, Foden form a "concern", but City have a bright future
Several Man City stars have suffered an alarming drop-off in form this term, including last season's Premier League and PFA Player of the Year, Foden, and arguably one of the greatest-ever Premier League midfielders in De Bruyne.
Aside from a purple patch at the beginning of this year, Foden has struggled to replicate his exceptional form from last season in front of goal this term, while 33-year-old Kevin De Bruyne has had his fair share of fitness issues and the playmaker has failed to make the desired impact when called upon by Guardiola.
McInerney has admitted that he is concerned by the decline of both players, but others now have the opportunity to step up, and while Man City may have been swept aside by Liverpool last time out, Guardiola has seen enough from the younger players in his squad to be confident for the future.
"I saw a bright future," Guardiola told BBC Sport after the match. "These players are so young. Other than [De Bruyne] and Nathan [Ake], they are the future of this club in the next years, with others who will come in future windows."
The average age of Man City's starting lineup against Liverpool, which included three of their January signings - Omar Marmoush (26), Nico Gonzalez (23) and Abdukodir Khusanov (20) - was 25 years and 68 days, their joint-youngest in a Premier League game under Guardiola.
"I understand why Guardiola feels that way," said McInerney. "It was a young team. [Aside from] Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake, there wasn't a single outfield player who was over 26.
Guardiola's young players showing promising signs for the future?
"It's very much a team in transition still and I am very willing right now to be fair and judge this side for who they are currently and where they're going to be, as opposed to against the standards of previous sides.
"I think what Pep saw is that these young players are talented. They came very close to doing the right thing against Liverpool, but they just lacked a little bit of quality in the end.
"[Jeremy] Doku beat his man so many times and Savinho did the same, but we didn't have the final ball or there was no one in the box. The amount of times it was just Marmoush to aim for and he wasn't going to win a header against Konate or Van Dijk.
"We'd (usually) have the quality of Kevin De Bruyne, who would just ping a beautiful pass out of nowhere, or Phil Foden would put it in the top corner for 20 yards. Those guys aren't the same which is a concern, but it's something that we're obviously aware of.
"I can see why Guardiola would look at that game and go 'okay we're not quite as good as Liverpool and ultimately the performance didn't have everything that I wanted', but there were signs there from some of these young lads, the new ones that they have quality and that they can go far.
"I think there's plenty examples of that. Khusanov, in particular, I thought he was excellent yet again and I've been really, really impressed with his development already in the last four or five games.
"I think Guardiola saw his team, saw the principles, if not yet the final quality. The players worked hard, they kept the ball nicely against the best side in the country, they got the ball up the pitch very well, we didn't quite create enough chances, but I understand that the template was there and I think that's what Guardiola will see."
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