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Manchester City dismantled Chelsea in devastating fashion on Sunday afternoon as they returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 6-0 victory.

Pep Guardiola’s side may only be top on goal difference, but in a game defined by fine margins that could represent the difference between first and second place come the end of matchday 38.

Stunning individual performances were the order of the day at the Etihad Stadium, with the front-free of Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva sweeping the plaudits for the roles they played in the demolition.

Ilkay Gundogan, Fernandinho and Kevin de Bruyne controlled the game behind the aforementioned attacking trio, but the latter was far from his electric best.

The 68-cap Belgium international was making only his fifth league start of the season due to the pair of ligament injuries which have ruled him out for the majority of the season so far, and his lack of match fitness showed at times against his former club.

De Bruyne was dispossessed three times and made only one key pass against Chelsea before he was withdrawn after 68 minutes.

To put his performance into context, his return of 26 completed passes was the lowest recorded by a City player aside from Aguero – a stat which points towards an anomalous lack of involvement.

From an individual perspective, it was a disappointing afternoon for De Bruyne, but after spending so much of the season on the sidelines it’s easy to understand why he was not up to his usual high standard.

The 27-year-old playmaker is simply not match fit right now. His lack of involvement in City’s captivating attacking display was an unusual reality for supporters to face up to, but he can afford a handful of mediocre performances while the rest of the team are clicking and scoring goals at will.

It will take time for him to rediscover his imperious best form but his eventual return to peak fitness could provide City with yet another devastating weapon during the final weeks of the season.

On his day De Bruyne is a match-winner who can shift the dynamic of a game in the blinking of an eye, and that talismanic tendency should arrive in tandem with a return to full fitness.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to bemoan the club’s lack of squad depth.

A tweet from the official United account on Sunday quoted manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying: “Every single player is going to have a say in us moving up the table and getting the results that we need.”

The likes of Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood have played for the club this season due to a number of injury problems sustained by first-team players.

United are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and one ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea with eight games of the season remaining.

Solskjaer’s side have to play the likes of Manchester City and Maurizio Sarri’s men before the season is out as they look to qualify for the Champions League again next season.

Of course, United can also qualify by winning the tournament but they face Barcelona in the quarter-finals, perhaps the toughest assignment they could have been given in Europe.

And fans piled in to reply to the tweet, insisting that there simply isn’t scope to bring through a large number of players, as there is not a great deal of depth in the squad, with many calling for a summer of investment.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

After securing three impressive victories over the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and AZ Alkmaar, Manchester United were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Everton in the Premier League.

Snapshot

Amidst reports in recent weeks claiming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fighting for his job at Old Trafford, their recent revival appeared to earn a bit of respite. But the Norwegian will no doubt be under the cosh once more after his side yet again were held to a poor result by a team outside of the Premier League’s top six.

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The Red Devils could consider themselves extremely unlucky to find themselves a goal behind thanks to an own goal from Victor Lindelof, with a possible foul on David de Gea appearing to be ignored. United at least sealed a point thanks to Mason Greenwood, and it was the 18-year-old’s substitution in the second-half that was responsible for the Manchester side’s comeback.

Off the bench

In a seriously underwhelming first-half performance, United lacked any ideas or imagination to break a resolute Everton down. As per Sofascore, they managed just two shots on target despite averaging 64% of the possession, and that lack of creativity and incisive edge was a major reason behind their struggles.

But following Greenwood’s introduction with 25 minutes to go, United looked a different outfit, with the teenager providing a bit more thrust with his use of the ball. As well as his well-taken goal on his left foot, the England youth international provided one key pass and one accurate long ball too. It was a cameo that showed exactly what he can bring to the table, and there really cannot be any excuses for Solskjaer to not place his faith in him fully, and hand him a chance to start from the off in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans have hailed this starlet for his appearance against AZ Alkmaar.

Christian Benteke put in an impressive performance for Crystal Palace on Saturday, despite the game eventually ending in a 1-0 loss against Newcastle United.

On the chalkboard

It would be easy to look at this as simply one more game in which he didn’t make an impact for Roy Hodgson’s side, as he failed to get on the scoresheet and no points were earned.

That stance would be helped by the fact that the Belgium international has made five starts and 11 substitute appearances in all competitions this campaign, without recording a single goal or assist.

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While the 29-year-old will likely be disappointed that his drought has continued and the team walked away from St. James’ Park without any points, there were still positive signs to take regarding the former Aston Villa and Liverpool man’s play.

Positive signs

First of all, he used his physicality well, winning 11 aerial duels throughout the 90 minutes that he was on the pitch.

He was more than just a target man though, as he showed quality on the ball, completing all three of his attempted dribbles, as well as managing one key pass.

The Belgian also got three shots off, one of which forced a good save from Martin Dubravka. Even though it didn’t lead to a goal, what was impressive about this is that he latched onto the rebound and played a threatening ball towards Jordan Ayew, showing how alert he was.

There was even a defensive contribution from the colossal striker, as he made one tackle and two interceptions during the game’s duration.

It says a lot about his performance that the goalscorer Miguel Almiron and Florian Lejeune were the only two players that WhoScored gave a higher rating than Benteke.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

As has already been mentioned, there are various reasons for disappointment following this match, but Benteke’s performance should offer some encouragement.

In other news, it has been suggested that Palace are misusing one of their midfielders.

Aston Villa will be hoping to put their debacle against Watford to the back of their minds as quickly as possible today.

Despite the loss against their fellow relegation zone occupants, Dean Smith’s side are still just one point behind West Ham United and a temporary escape from the drop zone.

Therefore, it is important that they are able to get something from Burnley, who currently sit 13th in the table.

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With this in mind, FFC has predicted the starting XI that Smith could opt to use, which includes five changes from the Watford game.

Tom Heaton is a natural starter, having played 19 Premier League games this season, so he should continue between the sticks here.

Ahmed Elmohamady played the full 90 minutes against both Norwich City and Watford, so considering that he is 32 years old, he could be rested to make way for Frederic Guilbert.

Kortney Hause is the only defender to keep his place from the Watford loss, as he has been impressive in Tyrone Mings’ absence, averaging 1.8 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 9.8 clearances and 1.5 blocks per game.

James Chester was on the bench against Watford and could replace Ezri Konsa after his mistake for the first goal at Vicarage Road, especially after impressing in the Carabao Cup win over Liverpool.

Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….

Matt Targett picked up a hamstring injury against the Hornets, meaning Neil Taylor will likely come in to fill the void left by his absence.

Conor Hourihane and Douglas Luiz both maintain their place at the base of Villa’s midfield, especially after Smith defended the Brazilian for his contribution to Watford’s penalty.

Jack Grealish was played on the left against Watford, but could be moved back into the middle, with Henri Lansbury coming out of the team, having not made a single dribble or key pass when facing the Hornets.

Jota also comes out of the team after only lasting until half time at Vicarage Road. This, alongside Lansbury’s omission, means that Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi will occupy the places on the wings.

He may not have got a goal or assist in his last 12 Premier League games, but Wesley is likely to start again, though fans have been calling for Jonathan Kodjia.

In other news, Villa fans were fuming with Smith for his decision before the Watford game.

Aston Villa completed their first signing of the January transfer window on Tuesday, bringing Danny Drinkwater in on loan for the rest of the season.

The midfielder, brought in from Chelsea, managed just one league start for Burnley during the first half of the season, adding another one in the Carabao Cup.

However, he does have 100 Premier League appearances to his name from the entirety of his career, indicating a change of transfer policy from Chief Executive Christian Purslow.

During last summer, Villa had not paid much attention to Premier League experience, as signified by the fact that nine of the 12 recruited had never played a single minute of football in England’s top tier, before moving to Villa Park.

Before all that began, Purslow noted: “On the recruitment side in particular, things have not been handled as I think they should be in the way our fans expect, which is for us to be a young exciting team and a team that over time establishes itself back in the Premier League.”

However, it now seems as though the club may have reverted to bringing in an experienced head in midfield, who knows the league and what playing in it can entail.

His past – which includes the league title win with Leicester City – will surely have played a part in this decision, considering the 29-year-old has managed a combined six starts and seven appearances off the bench in the league since the 2017/18 season’s start.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

This need for experience in England’s top-flight can also be indicated by links with Pepe Reina, as reported by Calciomercato.

The Spaniard may currently be playing in Serie A, but he has amassed 285 Premier League appearances throughout his career.

Changing the strategy to focus on those who have played in the league already, will likely be seen as providing an added layer of safety when the season comes to its culmination and crunchtime approaches.

Villa currently find themselves just one place and one point above the relegation zone, having temporarily fallen into it during December.

With the benefits to clubs’ finances and status being so greatly helped by a place in the Premier League being, it is seen as vital for teams that they are able to beat the drop.

Villa may be changing their transfer strategy from the summer to ensure that happens.

Meanwhile, Villa fans were impressed by a former fringe player’s performance against Leicester.

After what has seemed like months of speculation, Liverpool and Nike have finally confirmed their new multi-year partnership, which will see the US-based firm supply the Reds with their playing kit.

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The Anfield outfit have had their playing apparel made by New Balance since 2012, but this new deal with Nike from the start of the next campaign will see them earn considerably more than the £40m they received per year with their previous contract. In fact, they could rake in up to £70m every 12 months.

The announcement has, unsurprisingly, received plenty of interest from supporters on social media platform Twitter. And plenty of fans are happy with the news.

Nike are one of the biggest global brands in world sportswear. It is little surprise that some supporters are delighted that their logo will now adorn their kit.

Some are specifically ecstatic that this will mean no more New Balance-made kits.

Considering that their soon-to-be former kit supplier stayed with the European champions during the harder times at the start of the previous decade, perhaps fans should be more grateful.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

Others, meanwhile, are sure this can mean only one thing: the arrival of Kylian Mbappe from PSG.

Liverpool have been linked with the 2018 World Cup winner, and there is a feeling amongst some that this could now mean he completes a move to Anfield. Jurgen Klopp, though, has previously said that such a deal will not happen.

Not everyone is delighted with the new partnership though.

You can’t keep everyone happy, we suppose.

Expect even more reaction and discussion in the future when next season’s kits are revealed.

In other news, Liverpool eye this Premier League speedster.

Another weekend of action has come and gone, and Leeds’ automatic promotion spot is once again looking a little more precarious than it once was.

The Whites’ lead over third place is now down to just six points, and that’s certainly not a safe position to be in when you consider the club’s tendency to flop at the back-end of seasons.

Something needs to change in order to avoid another capitulation, and while it’s going to take more than one switch to sort out these problems, there’s quite an obvious area where Marcelo Bielsa can start.

Casilla’s woes

Despite conceding just ten goals in their first 19 games, Leeds no longer have the best defensive record in the Championship.

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The Whites have conceded 13 goals in their last eight league matches, and that’s at least partially down to the poor form of Kiko Casilla.

The Spaniard has often been praised this term by fans, but his performances have certainly dropped off in recent weeks.

His mistake led to Sheffield Wednesday’s opener on Saturday, and the Owls scored twice despite only having two shots on target.

Unfortunately, that’s a familiar story as Birmingham City bagged four goals from just four shots on goal last month.

To put it bluntly, Casilla just isn’t making saves anymore, and that really isn’t a good trait for a goalkeeper.

Change needed

Bielsa has started Casilla in every single league game so far this term, but it may be time for that particular streak to come to an end.

The Spaniard has been a liability in recent weeks, and Leeds have an understudy ready and waiting.

He may have only played one game for the club, but Illan Meslier was mightily impressive against Arsenal in the FA Cup, drawing praise from both sets of supporters as he made four saves.

Bielsa should put Meslier in ahead of Casilla for numerous reasons.

For a start, it could give Casilla the shot in the arm he needs to rediscover his early-season form.

Another point is that the former Real Madrid man is facing a potential ban in the near future and giving Meslier a chance to pick up some experience ahead of being thrust into the number one spot wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Finally, Meslier may genuinely be the better option at the moment. He impressed both Leeds and Arsenal fans with his performance at the Emirates, and with Casilla faltering he may be an improvement on the three-time Champions League winner.

In other news, Danny Pugh has shown excitement about one of Angus Kinnear’s big plans for Leeds United.

The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans has revealed that Mbwana Samatta will not be making his Aston Villa debut against Watford on Tuesday night.

Villa announced on Monday that they had completed the signing of the Tanzania international from Genk on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The 27-year-old leaves Genk having found the back of the net on 76 occasions in 191 appearances in all competitions.

Samatta has managed 10 goals in 28 outings this season, meanwhile, including three in the group stages of the Champions League.

Villa will be looking to win in the Premier League for the first time since New Year’s Day when they welcome Watford to Villa Park on Tuesday night.

However, Evans has revealed that the striker will ‘be in the stands’ for his new club having not been signed in time to feature against the Hornets.

Jack Grealish could therefore play in an attacking spot once again as Wesley is out for the season with a knee injury and Jonathan Kodjia has now departed.

Evans’ tweet on the subject can be seen below:

Meanwhile, Villa continue to be linked with a move for this former Premier League midfielder before the January transfer window closes for business.

Aston Villa may have already signed Mbwana Samatta this January transfer window, but they are still on the lookout for another striker before the deadline.

The feeling that another recruit is needed comes after Jonathan Kodjia’s exit this month and Wesley’s season-ending injury.

It has been reported by Fanatik [via Sport Witness], that they are now offering €5m (£4.2m) for Trabzonspor striker Daniel Sturridge.

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There are some fans who seem to be content with the signing, even if it might be because there aren’t better options, with one saying “beggars can’t be choosers”.

While there are those who have become genuinely excited about the potential signing, with one feeling he is “quality” and another claiming he could turn out to be a “bargain”.

Did he really play for us?! No Villa fan has managed to name all of these obscure Villans….

Sturridge has been impressing in Turkey this campaign and across eight starts and three substitute appearances in the league and cup, the Englishman has recorded seven goals and four assists.

However, not everyone is thrilled with the idea of signing the 30-year-old, with one exclaiming that they “want Giroud”.

His injury record will also not help him, as the Englishman has already picked up seven minor injuries since arriving in Turkey, which have seen him sit out a total of 17 games.

To make things even worse, they could have signed him for free during the summer if they had got in ahead of the Turkish outfit.

Meanwhile, a Villa man would be seriously foolish if they accept a proposed move away from the club.