If the true test of a team is how they cope in times of adversity, then Manchester City could hardly have chosen a more emphatic way to silence the people who seem to like nothing more than picking holes in Pep Guardiola’s methods. City had been forced to suck it up after a traumatic fortnight and it will be a long time before their fans get over missing out on the chance to start the title party in front of Manchester United last weekend. Yet if anyone wanted to know why Guardiola is on the verge of winning the Premier League for the first time, Wembley was the place to be on Saturday night.
Forget about the envy City will feel when Liverpool take on Roma in the Champions League semi-finals. This is no time to focus on their flaws. Not after they answered all the criticism by ending Tottenham’s 14-game unbeaten run with a blend of class and defiance, proving beyond doubt that little is as intoxicating as witnessing a Guardiola team allowing the creative juices to flow.
Guardiola could barely keep the smile off his face as he paid tribute to his players afterwards. City require only three points from their final five games, with Swansea the visitors at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday, and the race will be over if United lose at home to West Brom on Sunday or at Bournemouth on Wednesday. How does Guardiola plan to spend his Sunday? “I’m playing golf with my son,” he said.
He will probably find a way to keep an eye on the United score, yet if City were carrying any psychological scars from their recent setbacks, they covered them up well. They relished Wembley’s wide open spaces, just as they had when collecting the first trophy of the Guardiola era with that impeccable victory over Arsenal in the League Cup final two months ago, and Tottenham must have feared they would be on the receiving end of a fearsome backlash as they tried to combat City’s high press and mastery of the ball.
The willingness to take risks sets City apart and no player encapsulates that more than David Silva, who was everywhere in those early stages, demanding the ball and unnerving Tottenham with how easily he crept away from his markers. City’s forwards knew that they just had to make the right runs and they almost took the lead in the fourth minute, Silva releasing Raheem Sterling behind Ben Davies, Leroy Sané volleying the winger’s cross against the woodwork.
Mauricio Pochettino started Érik Lamela instead of Son Heung-min, hoping the Argentinian’s ability to hound defenders would set the tone for Tottenham, but City were in the zone and the only surprise was that it took until the 22nd minute for the opening goal to arrive. They had taken note of Tottenham’s high line and pierced it with one long ball, Vincent Kompany lifting the ball through for Gabriel Jesus to tear away from Davinson Sánchez and fire a resounding finish underneath Hugo Lloris.
Pochettino’s men were struggling to keep track of their runners and they found themselves in a deeper hole when Sterling skipped away from Sánchez and lured Lloris into tripping him. Replays suggested that the foul took place outside the area but Jon Moss pointed to the spot and Ilkay Gündogan made it 2-0. “The most important is to accept that sometimes it is for you and sometimes it is against you,” Pochettino said. “I am not going to complain. We lost because they were better.”
City were in a similar position of strength against United last Saturday, though, and Tottenham struck back three minutes before the interval. Harry Kane released Christian Eriksen and the Dane enjoyed a moment of fortune when Aymeric Laporte’s desperate tackle rebounded off him and past Ederson.
Tottenham were determined to find out if City would crumble at the start of the second half, swarming around David Silva and asserting themselves in midfield, where Mousa Dembélé was dictating the flow at last. It had become a frenetic contest, played in a terrific atmosphere, and Jesus spurned a glorious chance to settle City’s nerves, scuffing woefully wide after escaping Sánchez again.
However, City began to weather the storm after Guardiola switched to a back five in the 64th minute, Nicolás Otamendi replacing Sané, and they grabbed the clincher eight minutes after that tactical shift.
Sterling had added another baffling miss to his growing portfolio when he failed to punish an error from Lloris, infuriating Guardiola by firing against the prone Davies when it looked easier to score.
Yet there was no chance of Sterling turning down the chance to score his 22nd goal of the season when a rebound fell to him moments later. The ball flew into the roof of the net and City can start planning the celebrations.
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