Manchester City got another win under their belt today as they overcame Aston Villa 2-0. One of the major talking points after the game was the fitness situation surrounding Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker. Pep Guardiola provided an update on the duo.
It was not an easy win as City had to toil hard to get the opening goal. It came after a brilliantly taken effort from Bernardo Silva. Another goal was added on at the end of the game in the form of a penalty from Ilkay Gundogan.
Both De Bruyne and Walker had to be taken off the pitch due to injuries. City had to find a way to cope with the absence of these players and it will please the manager that they did so in such commanding fashion.
It is suspected that the Belgian had a muscular issue and hence had to be substituted. Whereas Walker might have suffered an issue from him collision with Jack Grealish. When Guardiola was asked about this, he told the City website:
“I haven’t spoken to the doctor. If Kyle asks to be out, it is because something happened. Hopefully it is just a kick.
“Kevin put his hand on his leg, so I have the feeling it will be something muscular. It is normal, these things happen with this amount of games.”
It was important to get this win as it maintains the pressure on the table-toppers, Manchester United.
They still have a game in hand over United and that provides an opportunity to overtake them. What makes City such a dangerous team at the moment is that they are able to combine exceptional attacking flair with superlative defensive solidity.
They have to be considered the leading league title favorites, considering the strong momentum with which they are getting results right now.