[ad_1]
The countdown has begun. Pep Guardiola’s third Premier League title as Manchester City manager is within his grasp. He recited the challenges to come with joy, starting with the Wolves here tomorrow. The Manchester derby on Sunday is also not far from his thoughts.
Twelve games to go and the next three are at home. For a team that had played eight of their last 10 matches in all away competitions before this win over tough West Ham, it’s a form of relief.
“They are tremendously important,” Guardiola said. And I am terribly happy! These three games can be a big part of our Premier League season. The players know that we are not champions, there are still 36 points to play.
“With what we have in our legs and in mind, these three games will be as difficult, as it was today, because we are not fresh.”
He’s right, City are not fresh, not even with seven changes since the midweek win in Europe. They certainly didn’t look cool against Declan Rice’s filter, imperious at the base of West Ham’s midfield, or tracking the clever performance of Michail Antonio, or against the belligerent Vladimir Coufal.
But he still won and that is what has set City apart from the rest in a season like no other. They deserve their two days off after the Wolves to spend with the family.
Guardiola’s team isn’t hitting everyone in sight; its consistency at the top is as measured as the climb to get there after Christmas.
They have moved perfectly. There is more game management than in previous years and that is their credit.
They’re not always playing particularly well and there was more than a hint of regret in David Moyes’s voice that West Ham hadn’t gone to London with something; at least one point seemed eminently achievable for much of the afternoon. City gave them the highest compliment by counting on Rodri’s height in the final minutes to close the game.
John Stones and Ruben Dias, the scorers on either side of Antonio’s tie, both finished crucial headshots at the end to thwart the danger. Unlike the Borussia Monchengladbach ride on Wednesday, City were not the sole owner of the joystick.
However, they have the story in their own hands, and while Guardiola’s mantra is always ‘the next game, the next game’, he is clearly allowing himself to wonder how long this winning streak can last. He didn’t mention any world records, but it seems like someone is keeping him on top of the scorecard. City’s streak is now 20.
“It is the third best streak in the entire history of Europe,” Guardiola said. That’s true in terms of the ‘big five’ European leagues: only Real Madrid with 22 and Bayern Munich with 23 are above them.
But the world record in the major leagues is held by Ajax, for whom Johan Cruyff had 26 consecutive victories in 1971-72.
Whether City can match that race or not, it’s phenomenal that they are in this situation. Guardiola attributes that not just to the depth on this team, highlighted by the £ 350 million of talent on the bench, but to individual rivalries for places across the team.
‘In the last two games, Kyle Walker was incredibly focused. Joao Cancelo helps Kyle know that he has to play well, ‘Guardiola said. ‘It is the only way. Now Kyle deserves to play, but he will be very tired physically and mentally.
‘This race cannot happen when relationships are bad. They all want to play, but one day they will be coaches and understand what it means to be together. ‘
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
