Sir Alex Ferguson once said that “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”, and as much is even true when it comes to a team with as much attacking flair as Manchester City. Of the six Premier League crowns City have won under Pep Guardiola, they have had the best defensive record on four occasions. And their struggles at the back are the best explanation of the current miserable defence of their title.
City have the joint-eighth best defence in the league this season, shipping 27 goals in 20 games. Even Everton have a better defensive record than Guardiola’s side, who have let in more goals already this season than over the entire course of their title-winning campaigns in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22.
Several City defenders (step forward Kyle Walker!) have struggled for form, but repeated injuries have been their biggest concern, with John Stones, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all missing big chunks of the season, prompting Guardiola to remark “We have no defence” after the derby defeat to Manchester United in December. Their ageing backline is another worry for City: Walker, Stones, Akanji and Ake will all be over the age of 30 by the end of the season.
It should be no surprise, then, that finding a new defender is among City’s top priorities in the January transfer window, and they have focused their attention on one player in particular: Lens’ speedy and aggressive centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. The 20-year-old is greatly admired among City’s directors and they are looking to bring him in before the transfer window closes, sensing a bargain after Lens have priced him at around £20 million ($25m).
GOAL charts the rise of the young defender, who is hoping to become the first ever Uzbek player to play in the Premier League…