Manchester City: Ranking Best and Worst Players for February
February was a strange month for Manchester City. They only played four matches thanks to their early FA Cup exit, winning two, drawing one and losing one. However, that one defeat came at the hands of Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, leaving City on the brink of a European exit.
The month started with a hugely disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Hull City. After the draw at Stamford Bridge at the end of January, which was a positive performance from City, dropping points at home to a side struggling near the bottom of the table was a dreadful way to kick off February.
The 4-1 win away at Stoke City, which saw the Citizens play some outstanding football in the second half, looked to signal a shift in form, and the 5-0 hammering of Newcastle United in the following game set them up nicely for the big one with Barcelona.
The Spanish giants were superior to City, though, giving them a lesson in the first half that must have hurt Manuel Pellegrini. Rarely has his side looked so utterly inept.
Here we take a look back and identify the five worst and five best players for City in February, starting with those who underperformed.
5. Fernandinho
1 of 10
Fernandinho was excellent at Stoke, giving one of his driving, all-action displays, but in his other appearances, he underwhelmed.
Poor against Hull and nowhere near as dominant as he should have been against Newcastle, he was dropped for the Barcelona match. His level has dipped this season after a fine debut campaign.
4. Pablo Zabaleta
2 of 10
It’s rare that Pablo Zabaleta makes a list of City’s worst players, but it hasn’t been a great month for the Argentina star. Poor against Hull and given a difficult night by Victor Moses at Stoke, his February got off to a difficult start.
He gave a typically excellent display against Newcastle, contributing to both attack and defence, before having another tough night up against Neymar in the Barcelona defeat. He gave away a last-minute penalty with a rash challenge to top his night off.
3. Aleksandar Kolarov
3 of 10
Aleksandar Kolarov played two matches in February, away at Stoke and at home to Newcastle.
He was decent in both, but he was sometimes profligate in possession. His tendency to shoot from ridiculous angles and distances continues to infuriate.
2. Vincent Kompany
4 of 10
The form of Vincent Kompany is now a real concern for everyone connected to City. He was, at one stage, the finest central defender playing in England, but he has been on the decline for around 12 months. Since his return from injury in January, though, he has dipped further still and currently looks like a liability.
He was poor against Hull and lost Peter Crouch for Stoke’s goal in the win at the Britannia. He was solid against a poor Newcastle side before a dreadful first-half display against Barcelona. He needs to improve quickly.
1. Fernando
5 of 10
Withdrawn at half-time after an abysmal display against Hull, characterised by misplaced passes and carelessness in possession, Fernando gave a much-improved performance against Stoke, where he was unfussy, disciplined and kept things simple.
He didn’t play against Newcastle, but he was back in the starting line up against Barcelona because of Yaya Toure’s absence and was woeful. He gave the ball away early on, which set the tone for his evening.
He’s looked well short of the quality needed to be a consistent performer for City this season.
5. James Milner
6 of 10
James Milner didn’t play as much as he’d have liked to in February, but he made some major contributions.
He came off the bench against Hull and scored a beautiful last-minute equaliser from a free-kick, and his header against Stoke put the finishing touch to arguably City’s best performance of the season thus far.
He was fairly non-existent in central midfield against Barcelona, but overall, he had a solid month.
4. Samir Nasri
7 of 10
Samir Nasri had a decent month, even if it featured a somewhat insipid display against Barcelona.
He created some of City’s best chances against Hull, scored and assisted at Stoke and bagged a brilliant, composed finish against Newcastle.
3. Joe Hart
8 of 10
City’s best player against Barcelona, Joe Hart made a series of saves, including a last-gasp stop from a Lionel Messi penalty, to keep his side in the tie.
He didn’t cover himself in glory for Hull’s opener, but he could do nothing about Peter Crouch’s header at the Britannia and dealt with everything thrown at him against Newcastle.
2. Sergio Aguero
9 of 10
After struggling somewhat to return to his very best after an injury layoff, Sergio Aguero has found some form again.
He scored two at Stoke, including a superb opener rifled in from the edge of the area. He scored a penalty against Newcastle and bagged another fine goal against Barcelona to send City to the Nou Camp with some hope.
1. David Silva
10 of 10
City’s Spanish playmaker, David Silva, struggled to impact the game against Hull, but his performances against Stoke and Newcastle were superb. He was at the centre of everything City did going forward at the Britannia and scored two wonderful goals against Newcastle, as well as providing Edin Dzeko with a sublime assist.
Against Barcelona, he was one of the few players to emerge with his reputation unharmed, showing some invention in the second half and providing a lovely flick to set up Sergio Aguero for his goal.
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