Five Takeaways as Manchester City lose to Wolves

4. After a decent stretch, City’s center backs remain an issue

Fernandinho and Nicolás Otamendi were absolutely exposed on the counter-attack on Saturday after a decent winning run. Although warning signs had been present in just about every match City have played in the absence of Laporte, City’s attack proved unable to lift the team to victory, leading the mistake-prone partnership at the back to cost the Blues critical points.

Fernandinho is simply not a natural center back; he is undersized for the position, and although his intercepting and tackling ability is immense in midfield, it is not a natural fit for defense. He is often overly-aggressive going into challenges that could lead to penalties and gets caught out with errors that may pass innocuously in midfield but instead lead directly to the opposition scoring when he plays as a defender. In addition, his lack of aerial ability has proven especially problematic when facing lower opposition, as City look in danger of conceding on nearly every set piece.

Otamendi is simply past his best, when he enjoyed a decent run of form during the 100-point 2017/18 campaign. After seriously contemplating a move away from the club this summer, his decision to stay has led to playing time, although he is not up to the standard required at Manchester City.

With this partnership at the back, City are vulnerable in nearly every match. Although the return of Stones in the coming weeks will theoretically ease the pressure, his poor form does not inspire confidence, based on his performance in the defeat at Carrow Road earlier this season.