Manchester City's struggles continue: Henry's Julian Alvarez claim resonates

Manchester City, a team that in recent seasons has delighted us with dream football and has dominated the Premier League at will, is currently in a crisis of results and play that has left locals and strangers perplexed. The recent defeat against Arsenal (5-1) has raised alarms and generated a host of questions about the future of the team led by Pep Guardiola.

In the midst of the storm of criticism and analysis, an authoritative voice like that of Thierry Henry, an Arsenal legend and former Premier League player, has raised his voice to point out the main deficiency that, in his opinion, is affecting Manchester City: the absence of Julian Alvarez.

"Manchester City have lower-level players, they miss Julian Alvarez," Henry declared, making it clear that the absence of the Argentinian striker is being noticed in the team's performance.

And it is that the departure of Julian Alvarez to River Plate, his home club, has left a void in City's attack that seems not to have been filled. Despite having figures such as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, the team has lost that spark and that capacity for imbalance that the Argentinian contributed.

Alvarez, with his speed, dribbling and goalscoring ability, was a player who unbalanced defences and generated scoring opportunities. His presence on the field infected the rest of the team and allowed Guardiola to devise different tactical schemes.

The absence of Alvarez is not only noticeable in the lack of goals, but also in the creation of play. The Argentinian was a player who associated very well with his teammates, opened spaces and generated constant danger in the rival area.

It is true that Manchester City have players of great talent, but the lack of a player like Julian Alvarez, who brings that spark and imbalance, is taking its toll. The team looks more predictable, static and with difficulties to generate clear scoring chances.

Henry's criticism, without a doubt, highlights a problem that Manchester City must solve if they want to be the dominant team we all knew again. The absence of Julian Alvarez is a reality that weighs on the team's performance and that Guardiola must address if he wants to return City to the path of victory.

The question that arises now is whether Manchester City will seek a reinforcement in the next transfer market that can fill the absence of Alvarez or if Guardiola will seek alternatives within the current squad. What is clear is that the team needs a revulsive, a player that brings that spark and imbalance that Julian Alvarez provided.

Meanwhile, Manchester City must continue working hard to improve their performance and overcome this difficult situation. The quality of the squad and the ability of Guardiola are unquestionable, but the absence of Julian Alvarez is a factor that is weighing too heavily on the team's future.

Only time will tell if Manchester City will manage to overcome this crisis and return to being the team we all knew. What is certain is that the absence of Julian Alvarez has left a deep mark on the team and that his memory remains present in the memory of the fans.