Alan Shearer comments on Manchester City’s recent challenging performances

Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer has observed that Manchester City is currently exerting “harder work of games than they need to”. Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer explained his perspective, stating that “Manchester City have set such ridiculously high standards, so now we might be a little bit nit-picky towards them.” He reiterated, “They have made harder work of a few games than they needed to.” He cited examples where the team has fallen behind in matches, though he acknowledged the significant absences of Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne as a contributing factor. Despite these initial setbacks, Shearer pointed out that in their last six Premier League fixtures, Manchester City has consistently managed to recover and secure results. Shearer further predicted that the absence of Rodri would become more pronounced as the team progresses into later stages of major competitions, such as the Champions League. Nevertheless, he concluded by affirming that “you cannot deny that they are an incredible team.”