The regulars at the bar have been really impressed with the start Manchester City have made this season, though they’re concerned not everyone is getting the recognition they deserve.
The Sky Blues are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, secured their place in the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League with two games to spare and are also into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup. It really has been a terrific start.
The usual suspects have been in fine form for City, David Silva has been absolutely excellent, while Sergio Aguero continues to give defenders nightmares. England stopper Joe Hart has also been in fine form, keeping 6 clean sheets in 11 matches so far. Finally, the big money signings of Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne have slotted in seamlessly, and look like they could more than justify their whopping price tags.
However, while the star names are likely to get all the credit, every great team needs people in their side to do the dirty work. Indeed, there are certain players at City who quietly get the job done, and perhaps don’t get the praise they deserve. Below we picked out five players in the City side who are a little bit underrated by both fans and pundits alike.
Click the image below to see FIVE underrated Manchester City players so far this season!
[ffc-gallery]
[/ffc-gallery]
Fernando
Fernando joined the Citizens from Porto last year, and initially appeared to make a bit of a slow start. However, Fernando has really started to come into his own in the City midfield.
He was as good as anyone on the pitch in the Manchester Derby, where he was a typical nuisance in the way he broke up play well.
Fernando’s willingness to do the dirty work has seen all of his team mates reap the rewards, and he deserves just as much praise as anyone for their fine start.
Fernandinho
Like Fernando, Fernandinho also slips a little under the radar at City, with Yaya Toure often getting most of the attention.
Fernandinho is also not afraid to do the dirty work for his side, but you can always rely on the Brazillian to pop up with vital goals when you need them. He added another to his collection in their Champions League win over Sevilla.
When Yaya Toure eventually leaves the Ethiad, Manuel Pellegrini may not even need to worry about replacing him with Fernandinho and Fernando in the form they are in.
Eliaquim Mangala
Another big money signing from last year, Mangala had a difficult first year as he adapted to Premier League life. This led to several football fans righting off the Frenchman, but only to their peril.
Mangala has come back stronger this year, and looks like he will only get better and better. Pellegrini’s signing of Nicolas Otamendi in the summer means there will be fierce competition among the City centre backs this season, with Mangala looking like he is already benefiting from it.
Martin Demichelis
One of Pellegrini’ first acquisitions as City manager, after he bought him in from Malaga in 2013. Though age is no longer on the Argentine’s side, Demichelis sometimes comes in for some unfair criticism, and unfortunately ends up being judged on some of his poorer performances in the past.
However, he is a reliable squad player for Pellegrini, and was excellent in helping City close out the game when he came on in the Manchester Derby. He is a valuable asset for certain occasions.
Wilfried Bony
Though Bony arrived with a big price tag and even big promise after joining from Swansea last January, he was always going to come under the radar when he has Sergio Aguero to compete with.
Bony’s City career also started slowly, which led to many deeming him a waste of money. However, with Aguero’s most recent injury, Bony has seized his chance well.
He is a tremendous player in his own right, and rather than trying to copy Aguero, he uses his own strengths and talents really well. A great back-up option, but he will be looking to nail down that spot for himself.
