'Everyone is so focused' - Pep and City back on track
PLEASED: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
MANCHESTER City put their off-field legal problems behind them in predictable and defiant fashion on Sunday night - and with this victory, Pep Guardiola lifted his club to the brink of top place in the Premier League.
Scarcely plausible though it may be, considering the gulf to leaders Arsenal that existed in the middle of last month, victory for City at the Emirates on Wednesday will see the defending champions back on top of the pile, and favourites for what would be a seventh league title in the last dozen years.
All this at the end of a week in which the Premier League hit City with over 100 charges relating to alleged financial irregularities, a state of affairs which led to a highly-charged atmosphere at the Etihad.
But, when politics and legal cases are factored out, English football was left facing one simple fact: a win on Wednesday will have seen City overcome an eight-point deficit to Arsenal in just 27 days.
“They’ve one game in hand,” said Guardiola. “Last season, we were 12 or 13 points in front of Liverpool and people said it’s over but they had two or three games in hand.
“We know the distance we are still behind them but the way we are behaving, in training sessions, the last week or 10 days has improved a lot.
“Everyone is so focused. Kyle (Walker) is back, the way he is behaving, and many players the same.
“This is our only chance to be competitive. It doesn’t make it easier for you to win but, without it, it is impossible.” Goals from Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez concluded this game by the interval but the fixture was about off-field affairs as much as those on it.
It was about City supporters showing their unqualified support for their club’s owners and managers - and even their legal team.
Before kick-off, a banner was unfurled proclaiming “Pannick on the Streets of London” - a clever bringing together of the song “Panic” by Manchester band The Smiths and David Pannick KC, who will defend City against the League’s charges.
On the final whistle, having collected the points from Villa, City wanted to make one against the Premier League and the same song boomed out over the PA at the Etihad Stadium.
It added to an air of celebration that had started after just four minutes, when Mahrez’s left-wing corner found Rodri on the corner of the six-yard box and his header was helped into the net at the near-post by World Cup winning keeper Emiliano Martinez.
It was the start of a completely dominant performance from the defending champions, whose hopes of retaining their crown looked doomed, as recently as the middle of last month, when they trailed the Gunners by eight points.
It took until the 39th minute for City to extend their lead when Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball was helped on by defender Calum Chambers and Erling Haaland pounced, squaring for Gundogan to make a routine finish.
And in the final minute of the first half, Jacob Ramsey’s clumsy trip sent former Villa favourite Jack Grealish sprawling, presenting City with a penalty.
Haaland appeared keen to take the kick but Mahrez won a group discussion and comfortably converted into the left-hand side of the goal.
“Normally it’s Erling and I wanted him to take it,” said Guardiola. “But Riyad always tries to do it and Rodri was there, so I don’t know what happened. We will talk about it tomorrow.” Still, the first half was pure vindication for City supporters who left little doubt about their views on this week’s scandal, booing the Premier League “anthem” before kick-off.
They also sang their support for Guardiola, Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour and former manager Roberto Mancini, along with a rendition of “We cheat when we want.”
Haaland, who appeared to have suffered a thigh injury in the first half, was taken off at the interval as a precaution, leading to a more subdued second half performance and, on 61 minutes, Villa scored a consolation, against the run of play.
Douglas Luiz dispossessed Bernardo Silva around the halfway line and slipped through a pass which Ollie Watkins latched onto before beating Ederson with a shot into the far corner.
Ederson 6; Walker 5, Dias 7 (Akanji 45, 6), Laporte 6; Rodri 8, Silva 6; Mahrez 7 (Ake 84), De Bruyne 9, Gundogan 7, Grealish 7 (Foden 69, 6); Haaland 6 (Alvarez 45, 6).
Phillips, Ortega, Gomez, Palmer, Lewis.
Martinez 5; Young 5 (Coutinho 75, 7), Konsa 7, Chambers 5, Digne 5 (Duran 59, 5); Ramsey 5 (Cash 75, 5), Kamara 6, Luiz 7, Buendia 5 (McGinn 59, 5); Bailey 6 (Moreno 60, 5), Watkins 6.
Sinisalo, Zych, Dendoncker, Swinkels.
R Jones 6
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