One of the more eventful Champions League encounters had everything bar Elvis parachuting in to eat a meat pie in stoppage time. For Fantasy managers, it was a bittersweet experience, as we witnessed the City attack demonstrate power and potential at a time when their assets are off the menu.
Manchester City 5 Monaco 3
Eight goals, bookings galore, a missed penalty and another spot-kick denied when it would usually have resulted in the Monaco goalkeeper being dismissed – apart from all that it was just another match.
And then there was Sergio Aguero rediscovering his form just as his side is likely to miss two of the next three Gameweeks
The Argentinian scored twice, laid on another and was booked for diving when on pretty much any other day he would have earned a penalty.
Both Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane found the net and produced assists, with City’s other goal coming from a John Stones tap-in following a Yaya Toure flick on.
David Silva also provided an assist, while Willy Caballero, again preferred to Claudio Bravo, saved a penalty to atone for an earlier error that led to Monaco’s first-half equaliser.
From a Fantasy perspective, however, this is no time to be considering City assets – they already miss this weekend’s scheduled Manchester derby as their nearest rivals will be playing Southampton in the EFL Cup final.
And even if they were to lose at home to Huddersfield in next Wednesday’s FA Cup replay, thus guaranteeing a Gameweek 28 match with Stoke, their next three fixtures after that are Liverpool at home and Arsenal and Chelsea away.
Small wonder, then, that only three of the squad – Stones, Sterling and Aguero – still enjoy more than 10% ownership figures, while Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and the injured Gabriel Jesus are all in the top 15 for sales this week.
Gameweek 32 looks like being the time to look again at Pep Guardiola’s charges as City have a very attractive run-in and, almost certainly, two double Gameweeks to follow.
That could well put Aguero et al back on our radars, but even then things remain complicated.
The start of that favourable run-in – a home match against Hull City – arrives just three days before a potential Champions League quarter-final tie, making squad rotation yet another factor to consider.
Wait, see and enjoy the ride is probably the best advice on offer as far as Manchester City are concerned at the moment.
Man City XI: Caballero, Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho (Zabaleta 62), Toure, Sane, Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling (Navas 89), Aguero (Fernando 87).
Subs not used: Bravo, Nolito, Delph, Iheanacho.
