By mid-season, most observers had reached a consensus on Manchester City’s defensive frailties — even Pep Guardiola would struggle to deny that his back line is far from the required standard. But when Guardiola suggested that City’s forwards are not strong enough, it raised another question: is the attack truly pulling its weight? From a squad depth perspective, City’s front line is far from “adequate.” Guardiola’s preferred 4-2-3-1 often requires a natural center forward to spearhead the attack. While Kevin De Bruyne has occasionally been deployed in the role, the results have been underwhelming.

At present, Sergio Aguero is the only truly elite striker in the squad. But how does he compare to the Premier League’s other top finishers? According to the Daily Mail’s statistics, Aguero has scored only three league goals in the last three months since early November. While his tally was affected by a suspension, this output still pales in comparison to “big guns” like Diego Costa and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Even Olivier Giroud, recently reinstated to Arsenal’s starting lineup, has outshone him — the Frenchman has scored in five consecutive matches since signing a new contract.

Guardiola’s comments reflect a growing awareness of City’s attacking inefficiency. Match after match, regardless of the result, City dominate possession and passing statistics — metrics that satisfy Guardiola’s style — but that dominance hasn’t translated into wins. In some of their most notable defeats this season, such as the 1-3 loss to Chelsea and the 0-4 defeat to Everton, City actually looked competitive in general play, sometimes even superior. But in creating and converting chances, they consistently fell short. As Guardiola put it, “Football is about your attack, your scoring efficiency. If you are confident, you score quickly after joining a team. The more goals we score, the less pressure on our defense, and the more confidence our forwards will have.”

Ironically, City’s strongest area is behind the striker, where the trio of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Raheem Sterling form one of the most stylish attacking midfield lines in Europe. Yet up front, they rely on an out-of-form Aguero and two young, still-developing options in Kelechi Iheanacho and Gabriel Jesus. With the second half of the season bringing the added strain of league, cup, and Champions League fixtures, this thin attacking line looks vulnerable. City lack a forward like Alexis Sánchez who can play as a dynamic focal point, or Liverpool’s “pack-hunting” approach that produces goals without a traditional striker.

The result is a frustrating cycle: even when Silva and De Bruyne carve open defenses with surgical passes, there’s often no decisive finish. Guardiola’s previous squads offer a stark contrast. At Barcelona, he could call upon Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and David Villa — all proven scorers with formidable efficiency. At Bayern Munich, he enjoyed a pairing of Robert Lewandowski and Mario Mandžukić, who once ran neck-and-neck atop the Bundesliga scoring charts. For Guardiola, the challenge is clear — without a consistent and clinical finisher, even the most beautiful build-up play can leave a team stranded. And as Live Cricket Bangladesh followers know well, in any sport, controlling the game means little if you can’t turn dominance into points.