0.75pt Rico Lewis to score anytime at 12/1 (Sky Bet, Coral, Ladbrokes)
0.75pt Rico Lewis 1+ assist at 11/2 (bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power)
0.5pt Rico Lewis 2+ assists at 25/1 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Rico Lewis to score and assist at 75/1 (William Hill)
Are Manchester City in crisis? Or is the hysteria hyperbolic?
They have lost five games on the spin and conceded 12 in their last three, four of which came without reply against Tottenham at the weekend.
City are outside the top eight in the Champions League and eight points off the title pace in the Premier League. So, it is hard not to get fanatical because this is bad, especially by Pep Guardiola’s standards.
And yet, win both of their games this week and they are almost back on track, they face Feyenoord at the Etihad on Tuesday and go to Anfield on Sunday. It's just a matter of getting back to winning ways but what is actually the reason for their bad form?
Rodri’s injury is the most obvious, City have looked vulnerable in transition without the Ballon D’Or winner. Their other big hitters have also played a part with Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Phil Foden (amongst others) all underperforming.
Aside from this, it sounds daft looking at the results but City’s performances haven't actually been that bad. They have been left to rue missed chances in games where they should have been leading comfortably which leads us to another factor: the flaky form of Erling Haaland.
The frontman has started in four of the last five defeats, only netting once from 23 shots and an xG of 5.07, most noticeably missing a penalty against Sporting.
The bad form cannot all be pinned entirely on wasteful finishing but if City can start taking their chances again on Tuesday, perhaps the result will follow and this will breed confidence ahead of the Liverpool game at the weekend.
RICO LEWIS will be cursing the wasteful finishing of his team mates.
In the Champions League, Lewis has been the most creative player in terms of chances created (10), completing four key passes (pass leading to a shot) in each of his last three appearances. He has racked up an xA of 1.75 yet only has one assist to show for it.
In the hope City can rediscover their form in front of goal, both Lewis’ price to ASSIST 1+ and ASSIST 2+ goals both appeal against Feyenoord
Their is also some juice in the right-back's price TO SCORE ANYTIME at 12/1. He had three shots in the win over Slovan Bratislava, squandering a ‘great chance’ (0.28 xG) and has generated 0.54 xG on the continent this season.
In a game where City are odds-on to score three or more, backing Lewis to have a hand in at least one goal appeals. It makes more sense to back separately instead of to score or assist on this occasion as Dutching the stakes across the former returns more pts profit.
Pep will definitely be without Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic and Rodri. Tuesday’s match may also come too soon for Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku who both sat out the defeat by Spurs.
Kevin De Bruyne should return to the starting XI for his first start since mid-September. He will play behind Haaland, and potentially alongside Jack Grealish and Savinho.
As for Feyenoord, Brian Priske will be without eight players. Most noticeably, Chris-Kevin Nadje is suspended and keeper Justin Bijlow and striker Santiago Gimenez are both injured.
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Stones, Ake; Nunes, Gundogan; Savinho, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Feyenoord: Wellenreuther; Nieuwkoop, Trauner, Hancko, Smal; Hwang, Zerrouki, Milambo; Moussa, Carranza, Paixao
Odds correct at 1500 GMT (25/11/24)
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