MIcah Richards Aston Villa
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards believes his old side’s emphatic 4-1 win over Ipswich Town also showed some worrying vulnerability. Despite the commanding victory on Saturday, City were momentarily rattled when Ipswich took an unexpected lead following a self-inflicted lapse in concentration. And it’s the kind of hole that could be exploited by bigger and better teams as the season progresses if left unresolved. Micah Richards ‘ former team may have orchestrated a dominant recovery, but the pundit warns that more formidable opponents than Ipswich could exploit City’s particular flaw more ruthlessly. And it’s a somewhat familiar issue for City, who were troubled the same way last season.
Micah Richards said “I don’t want to be too critical and picky, but in terms of a team who have just come to the Premier League [Ipswich], and in terms of turnovers in the middle of the field… Okay, Rodri wasn’t playing today, but it is a little bit of a weakness.”
The panel revisited Ipswich’s early goal at the Etihad, which arose from City’s error at the other end of the pitch. The visitors capitalised on the mistake with a swift counter-attack, culminating in Sammie Szmodics’ strike past Ederson.
Micah Richards added “[Jeremy] Doku doesn’t track the run, Johnson makes a lovely pass, Rico Lewis sleeping, and it’s a good finish by Szmodics. And I just think these are the little bits they could improve on. Because last season, goals conceded from fast breaks – seven!”
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City fought back to beat Ipswich after a shaky start.
