Ever since the international break, Manchester City have not been in good form losing twice on the bounce. They were first defeated by Liverpool 4-1 on 21st November which was then followed up by a 1-0 loss against Juventus in the Champions League on 25th November.
There has been one notable absence which has overshadowed these defeats and that is club captain Vincent Kompany. Kompany has been a crucial part to City’s line-up for seven years now and his role in the team has been vital to City’s success.
The only problem with Kompany is that he has become very injury prone over the last few seasons and now these injuries are becoming more and more apparent. Despite, various potential replacements such as Mangala being brought into the team, these players are unable to reach Kompany’s playing ability and during these past two matches, Kompany’s absence has been evident.
Surprisingly enough, Kompany was a midfielder when he arrived at City and has developed into one of the best centre-backs in the world. His ability to read the game and his willingness to throw himself into slide tackles and has made him a legend amongst City fans.
Not only has his playing ability developed, but Kompany has developed from a new arrival to a proper leader. After becoming a part of City’s defence, he has learnt all the tricks in the book and has become a rock at the back.
His ability to command the back four is evident on the pitch as he is always communicating with his centre-back partner and has arms outstretched constantly ensuring the defence stays in line.
He has also become a major threat at set pieces with thumping headers, most notably his winner against Manchester United during the 2011/12 season where City went on to win the title.
It has not helped that City have faced two tough fixtures in quick succession and if they faced smaller teams, City may not be on a bad run of form. Against high-quality opposition, City’s back four has been made to look terrible at times and if this poor run of form continues City could slowly slip out of the title race.
It is clear that Kompany not being in the term has had a major impact on City’s recent run of form. In order for City to prove that they are a great team, they need to show that they can win matches without their best defender when he is not available. So if these last two matches were anything to go by, Kompany is a player who seems to calm the team, but while he is injured, City need to find a way to cope without the Belgian.
