Manchester City Compete with Chelsea and Excellence


This isn’t the only conceptual shift it inspired. When Manchester City entered this season without a well-known centre-back, it was seen not as crazy, but as a bold call, albeit a bit risky; Playing with a fluid front three is no longer cursed. The idea that fullbacks could replace midfielders and serve as playmakers was also internalized and imitated. Yes, it actually started an era of open-mindedness where maybe goalkeepers could be penalized.

His statistical impact was as great as his style. Guardiola changed what it took to become champion, just as he did in Spain and Germany. He was put in charge of the most generous sports project ever conceived – well, connection – and with control of a club that can afford to be best-in-class in almost everything they do, Guardiola has shattered our notion of the possible.

It’s no surprise that the four highest overall points in British history came under Guardiola: two for Manchester City and two for Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, the only team that can keep up for a while. The fifth one is available this year. Each of the seasons in which Guardiola has won titles at City has involved some impossible consecutive wins or unbeaten matches.

How much of it is due to him and how much is due to the money he has is an ongoing debate, but in his favor is the fact that he has done exactly the same thing in Spain: just as he credits the fight, as Liverpool pushes his team to new heights, he beats Barcelona. There is no doubt that the need to beat inspired Real Madrid to score 100 points in 2012.

Either way, it became clear that even getting close to Guardiola’s Manchester City required an opponent to be nearly perfect. That was not the case this year. Liverpool lost points at Christmas and New Year’s, with a few reliable draws and a demoralizing defeat against a weakened Leicester City, leaving Klopp’s team behind. Chelsea will suffer the same fate after a stuttering and stuttering winter if they lose to City on Saturday.

This can have consequences. If City loses a title-winning streak in the next few months – as it probably looks – both Liverpool and Chelsea will be ironed out, their vulnerabilities exposed, their flaws exposed. Players may find their place in the team under threat or their reputations may suffer. It’s not entirely impossible for Blues Manager Thomas Tuchel to at least find his job in jeopardy if Chelsea finish the season behind by 10 or 15 points.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *