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IIt could have been a worse week for Manchester City if Liverpool had managed to beat Leicester City. Instead, the defending champions are five points behind their rivals with 14 games to play. James Ducker takes a closer look at the challenges facing Pep Guardiola's team.
Congestion of the device
Manchester City have already played five more games than Liverpool, eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue and the FA Cup at the first hurdle. They are also guaranteed to play two more national cup matches this month and potentially three more by May, in case they reach the FA Cup final.
The repercussions of this mounting overload are already being felt. Much to the chagrin of City, their Premier League game at Everton has been postponed to next Wednesday and sandwiched between crucial battles against Arsenal tomorrow and Chelsea, resulting from their involvement in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Feb. 24.
This means that next week the champions and other teams will have to play a crucial role, including the derby against Manchester United on March 16 at Old Trafford, if City were to defeat Middlesbrough or Newport County in the fifth round of the FA Cup this month. Pep Guardiola has the squad to face and there is the possibility of creating a real winning dynamic, but a frenetic schedule can also increase the risk of fatigue and injury.
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