Manchester City Have No Need to Panic About Vincent Kompany's Rusty Return

There were many startling aspects of Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, a result which leaves them five points behind leaders Chelsea, thus increasing the importance of the head-to-head between the two sides at Stamford Bridge at the end of the month.

The fact that it signalled 10 points dropped at home when their recent league successes have been built on imperious form at the Etihad was certainly one. Roberto Mancini’s last-gasp title win in 2012 was on the back of just two points dropped at home, and Manuel Pellegrini’s first league win as a manager in Europe saw him lose just five.

City’s away form will have to pick up the slack if they want to achieve the kind of points total it will take to see off Chelsea come May.

And the ease with which Arsenal completed the victory was also surprising. They may have enjoyed little possession, but they soaked up any pressure comfortably, sitting unusually deep and defending in a disciplined manner, hitting City on the break swiftly and incisively, with Santi Cazorla, their chief orchestrator, producing the best individual display at the Etihad by an opposition player since Eden Hazard last February.

City’s lack of ideas going forward was also a huge concern, even taking into account the absence of Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri. They were bereft of invention, with seemingly no one capable of grabbing hold of the game and making something happen in the final third.

However, arguably the most remarkable subplot to the defeat was the performance of Vincent Kompany, whose recklessness, both physically and positionally, caused City all sorts of problems throughout the game. He gave a penalty away, could easily have been sent off and was constantly dragged out of position, leaving his fellow defenders exposed against a potent Arsenal attack.

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It was his first game back after a six-match absence, but, even so, it was concerning to see a player so important to City in recent seasons, so out of control against a side he has dominated in the past.

And with the FA Cup fourth-round match with Middlesborough followed by a trip to Chelsea which now feels all-important in terms of the title race, they need him back to his controlled best as quickly as possible.

When Kompany strikes the right balance between proactive, aggressive defending and sensible positional play, there is no better defender in the Premier League, perhaps even Europe.

Problems arise when his tendency to try to win the game on his own leads to rashness and errors. He may well be the best defender at the club—the leader on and off the field—but there have been too many mistakes leading to goals in recent seasons for him to be considered at the same level he was at during 2011/12, a season in which he was imperious. 

Kompany has everything. He’s quick, tall and strong, and he has enough technical quality to play in midfield if needed. His surging runs from the back, where he takes players on and sets City on the attack, have become his trademark and, make no mistake, a significant part of his side’s attacking capability.

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He often sets the tone for a match, winning the first challenge or holding off a striker with ease, raising the game of those around him and rousing the crowd. He’s given arguably more dominant, match-winning performances than any other player in the modern City era, and his place in the pantheon of club greats is already secure.

But his injury record—30 league games missed in the last two-and-a-half years—and his recent tendency to make costly errors have blighted his reputation outside of City circles somewhat, and a return to the reliable Kompany of old is needed.

City need him back to his very best. A fully fit, in-form Vincent Kompany is a peerless, irreplaceable player, and if City are to overhaul Chelsea for a second time, they need their captain at his inspirational best.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard