City Watch: Blues caught cold in Bodo

Manchester City faced two crucial games in their season this week, with a fierce rival and unlikely opponent both featuring against the Blues. 

First, a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. 

Admittedly, I did have a ticket for the game, however, I was blessed with a winter flu last week, so decided to give my seat away, and in some ways, I’m so happy I did.

The derby was always going to be a difficult game, but add the fact it was Michael Carrick’s first game in charge of the Reds since taking over as the interim boss until the end of the season, and suddenly it becomes a lot more tricky.

My personal opinion on derby games is they have to mean something, and it’s usually the team who has more desire to beat the other one that usually comes out on top. 

There was controversy over Diogo Dalot’s challenge on Doku in the 11th minute and whether he should’ve been on the pitch.

I totally agree he should’ve been sent off for a high boot which was at knee height on Doku with studs up, but honestly, I don’t think it would’ve made a difference. 

United just simply wanted to beat us more than we wanted to beat them.

Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo ran absolute circles around the defenders, with Khusanov constantly looking lost and out of position and Max Alleyne, who was taken off at half time, completely out of his depth. 

Mbeumo scored to complement his fantastic performance with Patrick Dorgu driving home a second not long after.

Since I wasn’t at the game on Saturday and it was an embarrassing enough loss, I’m going to talk about a game I did attend. 

I was lucky enough to have got hold of one of the 400 tickets City were allocated for the game in the Champions League against Bodo Glimt.

For context, Bodo is in the north of Norway, in the Arctic Circle, more north than the most northerly point of Iceland. 

Temperatures were expected to be around -10 to -15 degrees; in the end, it wasn’t as low as that, but it was still desperately cold.

You’d think that City would take this as a perfect opportunity to bounce back from the frustration of the derby, against a team who had never won a game in the Champions League before. Well… you’d be wrong.

Again, Tuesday night was a case of Bodo Glimt wanted to beat us more than we wanted to beat them. 

Their striker, Kasper Hogh, scored two goals in two minutes halfway through the first half, both on the counter attack. 

That was their game plan, as many have before, sit with a low block, grab the ball from us and break quickly. 

I must say, they played it to absolute perfection.

Jens Petter Hauge, a Bodo supporter man and boy turned player for them, scored what I’m going to guess was one of the best goals of his career early on in the second half, as he grabbed the ball near the touch line, going round three of our players before lacing it in the top corner from outside the box.

Cherki, who I have to say was the only player who looked like he wanted to create something, scored in the 60th minute to make it 3-1 and give us a fighting chance. 

Just two minutes later though, Rodri compounded our problems, receiving two yellows in 58 seconds, earning his first red card in the Champions League for City.

More than anything, I’m not annoyed or angry with the result; losses can happen, I do wish they didn’t happen in the arctic circle in -5 after getting two flights but beggars can’t be choosers! 

Losses happen and I can accept that, but the minimum expectation is to give 100%, and over the last few games, the players just haven’t done that.

I will say, all credit to Bodo Glimt, they played us off the park and were exceptional. 

Their fans were also fantastic, very hospitable and generally lovely people. 

Bodo as a place is also incredibly stunning, especially when you mix the Northern Lights in there too.

Whilst the players were in Norway, the announcement of new signing, Marc Guehi was made. 

The England international joins from Crystal Palace for a reported fee of £20 million, and honestly, after watching City in 2026, we need him more than ever. 

The Blues now play bottom of the league Wolves on Saturday, before their final Champions League game against Galatasaray next week, which after Bodo, is a must win if the Blues are hoping for a top eight finish.