Fast-break frailty: How Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag can expose the one glitch in Man City's machine

Fast breaks have been the one area of frailty that has led to almost 20 per cent of the goals Manchester City have conceded - a higher percentage than any other side in the Premier League Erling Haaland continues to write his name into the annals of Manchester City history. With the help of his pass-master Kevin De Bruyne, the Norwegian this week took his goal tally in all competitions to 27 for the season. It came less than four weeks after the 23-year-old's return to the side following nearly two months out with a foot injury, and took his total since joining City in the summer of 2022 to 79 in 83 appearances. Pep Guardiola kept his goalscoring juggernaut on for longer than necessary as Luton let in six in midweek, but the Catalan knows stiffer challenges lie ahead, where an exhibition in finishing must be coupled with more robust defending. Guardiola knows his side could still fall short of the double Treble. On Sunday, when Manchester United visit the Etihad Stadium Guardiola knows that failure to address an area of weakness could ultimately undo his metronomic machine. Fast breaks have been the one area of frailty that has led to almost 20 per cent of the goals City have conceded - a higher percentage than any other side in the Premier League. It is the first time since Guardiola's first season in 2016/17 that over 10 per cent of their goals conceded have come from situations when their opponents break quickly. In six seasons from 2017/18 to 2022/23, only 11 of City's 176 Premier League goals conceded were from fast breaks - just over six per cent.