IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Erling & Co are Pep misfits

- Andy Dunn

AFTER Peter Bankes had blown the half-time whistle, he was confronted by Jack Grealish, who had been in a promising position when the referee called time.

As he likes to do, Emi Martinez got involved and that immediately provoked a muscular intervention from Erling Haaland.

It was the only impact the Manchester City striker made all afternoon.

And that just about summed up this City performance.

Haaland looks like an imposter - in fact, the whole team looks like it is full of imposters.

Even by the standards of recent weeks, this display from a side that has won six of the last seven titles was jawdropping in its inadequacy.

And while there are actually a whole host of perfectly legitimate reasons for City's seismic meltdown, it is still startling to see the scale of their current ineptitude.

It is like watching Rory McIlroy suddenly turn into a weekend hacker and be unable to get out of bunkers.

It is every professional sportsman's or sportswoman's worst nightmare - wake up one morning and forget how to play. Yes, injuries have been cruel for Guardiola and City.