Manchester City Need Vincent Kompany Back to Top Form After Latest Injury Return

Manchester City let another lead slip and failed to close ground on the top two in the Premier League on Tuesday night, having to settle for a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Newcastle United.

City are left still looking over their shoulders at the likes of Manchester United, now five points behind but with a game in hand, as they look to seal UEFA Champions League football for next season in what has been an unconvincing and disappointing season on the domestic side. In Europe, it’s a different matter, as City prepare for a semi-final tie against Real Madrid.

What’s for sure is that to have any chance at all to progress beyond the last four, City’s defence need to be absolutely on point, and that means Vincent Kompany must be back to full fitness and in form, something he failed to display against the Magpies with the first leg against Real just six days away.

Newcastle

Kompany has only just clocked up over 1,000 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, this just his 14th league appearance after a succession of calf problems. It’s natural that it takes time to get the balance and flow back into his game after an absence, but City don’t have time. He has one more game, home to Stoke City on Saturday, before the Champions League returns.

Against Newcastle, he was ponderous on the ball and conceded possession in dangerous areas three times, twice passing straight to opponents and once dallying too long and being caught.

Losing the ball in his own half to Moussa Sissoko or Papiss Cisse, he escaped from the worst of what might have happened; it will be a rather …

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