Where did reigning champions Manchester City slip up?

Manchester City have missed their talismanic captain’s presence of last season

The Citizens' blue seems to have jaded over the course of the season. Manchester City have only managed 19 points in their last 13 games, summing up their dismal record in 2015. It remains to be seen if they’re willing to be flexible and try James Milner in central midfield more often or try a change in system with more emphasis on their strengths. Their loss to Crystal Palace might just jerk them into action, especially with the Manchester Derby up next.

Manchester City is poised on the brink right now; the next few matches will shed more light on whether this will be a season of "what could have been" for the reigning champions. Everything seemed set for the Citizens to battle Chelsea for the title at the start of the season, yet they have barely scratched their potential as a team so far.

The squad that Manchester City boasts of is largely the same squad that won the league title last season. In fact, they bolstered it by signing the likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando, Bacary Sagna, Frank Lampard and in January Wilfried Bony.

If City get maximum points from their remaining games, they would end up with 82 points, just four short of their Premier League-conquering total last season. Yet, few expect them to make it unscathed through these fixtures. Such has been the inconsistency and vulnerability of the defending champions that they have already lost and drawn more games than in their last campaign.

In light of their recent form, it would hardly surprise even the most ardent Manchester City fan to see them drop points to United, Tottenham or Southampton in the remaining fixtures.

City’s tactical inflexibility with a 4-4-2 formation

The blue side of Manchester has gathered a deadly strike force over the past couple of seasons. They have formed several combinations that have proved to be the bane of many defences. But this season, their insistence on playing two players upfront without any room for change has proven to be their own undoing. Especially in Europe, teams have taken them apart for being tactically inflexible.

Aguero, though threatening, hasn't looked the same playing in a 4-4-2 as he did with Silva feeding him through balls playing behind him in a relatively free role. This season Aguero has rarely been able to swivel onto a deftly played pass and get his shots away quickly in his trademark fashion, the way he did in previous years. Moreover, though Silva's class means he can play anywhere behind the striker with devastating results, the rigidity of City's system does not allow him to interchange and float into spaces in other parts of the pitch – limiting his contribution.

Yaya Toure's contribution to City was never made more obvious than this January, when he was away with the national squad playing in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Yet, his role in the four-man midfield is rather undefined. He barely has the legs to be a box-to-box midfielder, which means that his midfield partners have had to compensate for his lack of running and have often been overwhelmed.

Over-dependence on Aguero, Silva and Toure

Having said that, Aguero, Silva and Yaya Toure – arguably Manchester City's best trio – have been good in their own right. They've looked to threaten and create at every chance and have often succeeded. The same cannot be said of the rest of the team; they appear to have slacked off. Players like club-captain Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, and Samir Nasri, who were among the core contributors in last season's campaign, have been lacklustre and below par in this edition of the Premier League.

Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure have been relied on too much this season

The goals upfront have dried up for City while the goals at the back have kept coming. While the defending champions scored 102 goals in the league last season and conceded 37, they have only scored 63 so far this season while conceding 30.

The Chilean manager has to bear most of the blame for the decisions which took players with natural talent out of their best positions and forced them to play in places that failed to bring the best out of them, thus putting pressure on the rest of the team.

Despite the poor results though, Pellegrini has been unmoving from his stance. He's persisted with two strikers up front and this refusal to budge could cost him and Manchester City dearly.

Defensive lapses

City's defence has looked collectively brittle. Overall, they seem to have lost the structure and organisation of last season and have not been helped by Vincent Kompany's temporary absence. Argentine Pablo Zabaleta's good performances this season have come in spurts; the consistency of last season has disappeared. And new addition Bacary Sagna, who was his replacement at times, has provided little solace.

Kompany's injury early in the season forced the Sky Blues to find a centre-back pairing that would work. Needless to say, they've failed with most combinations they attempted.

Kompany is usually Manchester City's immovable object, but since his return from injury, he has been below par in a number of matches. Especially against Arsenal and Liverpool, he committed a lot of mistakes, mistiming tackles and scuffing clearances. Additionally, fresh import Eliaquim Mangala has failed to impress in most outings and Martin Demichelis, who formed a good partnership with Kompany last season, has also been found wanting.

The worrying issue for Pellegrini is that his defence has not only conceded against the top sides but has also shipped goals against the likes of Sunderland and Burnley, teams for whom goals have been hard to come by this season.

Timidity in defensive half

While their backline has been poor, the champions' defensive cover from midfield must also share some of the blame. Players have got past Fernando and Fernandinho too easily, exposing the defence too often for Pellegrini's comfort.

Fernando has managed only 1.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game. His team-mate Fernandinho has managed 3.1 tackles per game, but the rest of the stats tell the same story as that of his compatriot. Compare these numbers to Arsenal's Francis Coquelin who averages 3.4 tackles, 3.1 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game and it becomes clear where City players have failed this season.

While last season's Premier League-winning team held their ground and pressed the ball well, even high up the pitch, City this season have been lackadaisical and dormant in defence. They've backed off and allowed teams to pass the ball around them or got sucked into players and watched them go past.

The onus is now on Pellegrini to turn Manchester City’s season around

City's defence has has not kept a clean sheet in the last six outings, and such a record does not bode well for the defending champions. The solution for next season can wait, because Manchester City have a lot to play for in the remaining seven fixtures of the season. Moreover, as Kompany himself has said, finishing a season strongly is always a boost for the next season. If City fail to find some steel and rhythm, they might be in big trouble.

While City have moved a notch lower, Chelsea have stepped it up. They have visibly been better in matches where they fell apart last season. The key difference has been their ability to grind out results.

The Sky Blues were flat track bullies for most of last season, yet they were also able to grind out the odd result. You could rarely write them off. But they lack that aura this season. While Chelsea are hardly cruising, they seem to be able to shift up that extra gear that City have failed to do this season despite their immense pool of talent.

Arsenal have also added an extra dimension to their game, Southampton have had a dream season that has surprised those behind the scenes at the Saints and West Ham have scared their fair share of big teams. In such a season of competition where others have risen, you could argue City have crumbled.

Or perhaps it's all because they forgot to get Yaya a cake.