Yorkie

Good news all round.

He's a bit of a victim of his own success because of how brightly he sparkled before his wee'un came along (I'm not being cute there, there's a definite line in the sand at that exact point). He was alright tonight; most of our play went through him and his long passing was on point, but he got caught the odd time (which is becoming common now; he's seemingly a lot less resistant to the press) and fluffed our only opening. Would love for him to recapture his best form - where he was easily the best I'd ever seen for us at CM - but I'll probably concede at this point that that incredible spell may have inflated our collective expectations. Not that he isn't still a brilliant player.

Explain this horseshit.

Thought they were exceptional in the first half.

Never feel a jot of worry about our defense when he's on the pitch. Botman is brilliant too. If he has yet another supremely solid season then he deserves the title of best in my lifetime, like. Of course Woodgate was exceptionally talented but this guy is too.

Mad how many millions of miles they are ahead of any other CB pairing I've seen in my lifetime. Both class acts.

Bloke is immense. So impressive physically. Would make a bitch out of Ashley Barnes and Kevin Muscat at the same time.

If we're hoping to be as good as Pep's City at home - aka, by a distance the best team the league has ever seen - then we'll never be satisfied.

City are unearthly in football terms. It's a pointless aspiration imo, and pointless measuring yourselves against them. Losing at the Etihad means fuck all.

They've won 17 games at the Etihad in a row. There's no "we're not there yet." No one is, that's the point. You need a lucky bounce or a worldie or them well, well off it to get anything there. Annoying as fuck but whatever. Into those horrific, horrific, red, teeth-grinding cunts next Sunday.

Howay.

Wish we had Murph on the bench.

God it's frustrating. HATE the Etihad.

Ergh so much reliance on Miggy tonight, whose final ball just neewhere.

Another huge chance fluffed.

Still in this man. Rage when Haaland pinches that number 2.

Wilson and Ando for Isak and Sandro

Huge chance. Sigh.

Decent account of ourselves but they've just been outrageously good in and out of possession. Forced us into one too many errors and there you go, 1-0. We're not out of it but the sensible bet is a carbon copy in the second half and 2-0 FT. Hateful fixture.

Meh, best team in the world. Their league to lose every year.

Sound.

We'll build in confidence and cut these passing errors out the longer it stays 0-0.

Man City are just a yard faster than us all over the park atm, but we're defending well.

Checking a shoulder/collar bone after a heavy landing.

Schar fucked immediately.