Manchester City: Ranking Best and Worst Players for April

April was a microcosm of Manchester City’s entire season: two desperately disappointing defeats, two wins, fleeting moments of quality but, ultimately, a feeling of regret. It’s been a mixed month to add to a mixed season.

City’s April results:

Crystal Palace 2-1 City

Manchester United 4-2 City

City 2-0 West Ham

City 3-2 Aston Villa

The defeat to Palace was one of the most frustrating of this campaign. City played well but in the final third lacked a cutting edge. To leave Selhurst Park without even a point was the moment even the most optimistic City fan threw in the towel where their team’s title chances were concerned.

The derby against United started well—15 minutes of total domination and the best football the Blues had played in a long time—but they capitulated and lost their first game against their local rivals since December 2012.

Wins against Sam Allardyce’s fading West Ham side and FA Cup finalists Aston Villa completed the month. The Hammers, in truth, rolled over, allowing City time and space on the ball to construct moves too easily. It was something of a walkover. 

Villa came from two goals down and looked like leaving the Etihad with a point, but a late Fernandinho goal gave them all three points, a result which moved City back above United in the table. It was a vital three points, but the performance was underwhelming. 

Here we rank City’s top three and bottom three players based on the quality of their performances during the month of April.

Best: Sergio Aguero

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Despite his season, once again, being disrupted by injury, Sergio Aguero has managed to enhance his goalscoring credentials.

He is the league’s top scorer, and against United, a game in which City were mauled for the vast majority, he showed why. Two quality goals from very little service once again proved there are few better in front of goal.

They came on the back of a good display at Palace where he did everything but score, and he also bagged goals against West Ham and Villa, bringing his total for the month to four in four games. 

He’s the man for the big occasion and rarely lets his side down.

Best: Jesus Navas

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Criticism for Jesus Navas continues to baffle many who watch him. His end product can sometimes let him down, but for the price City paid—£14.9 million in 2013 to prise him away from Sevilla—he’s proven to be well worth the money.

His arrival added a new dynamic to City—pace and width. He may not be a world-class player, but as a squad option, there are few better. Disciplined and hard-working defensively, and with pace that stretches teams, he’s a very useful player to have around.

In the wins against West Ham and Villa, he was outstanding, a constant menace on the right and always willing to help out his defenders.

Best: David Silva

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David Silva’s injury against West Ham after being hit in the face by a flailing Cheikhou Kouyate elbow looked to have ended his season after he was taken off on a stretcher inhaling oxygen, but he returned against Villa last weekend.

He’s had another excellent season for City, one of the few to consistently show his quality in what’s been a difficult campaign for the team. He was excellent against Palace, the man behind most of City’s best moves, and against West Ham he again was the architect of his side’s most impressive moments.

Worst: Edin Dzeko

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A player who has fallen almost completely out of favour after a dreadful season is Edin Dzeko, and April was a month for him to forget.

An abysmal display away at Palace—arguably his worst in a City shirt—got the month off to a poor start, and his one fleeting appearance since then has seen him cut a somewhat disinterested figure. 

A summer exit is beginning to look like a distinct possibility. 

Worst: Samir Nasri

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Is Samir Nasri’s time at City coming to an end? He remains a wonderfully talented player, but he appears to have fallen out of favour and, much like Dzeko, looks disinterested, at present.

He played against Palace, United and West Ham but each time looked incapable of impacting the side. 

Worst: Joe Hart

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Joe Hart has had a superb season for City—vastly improved form compared to 12 months ago—but April saw a slight dip in form.

Errors against Villa allowed them back into the match and he simply hasn’t been quite at his best, particularly in the derby defeat at Old Trafford where he should have done much better with United’s goals.