Can anyone stop City?
Gvardiol brace as Cityzens close in on Premier League title
ONE GAME closer for Manchester City, one match down as they seek to not just retain the Premier League but end the campaign with a domestic double. The reigning champions, looking for a fourth title in a row, kicked off one point behind Arsenal with a game in hand; they might end the day instead wondering if perhaps they could cruise to both trophies in second gear.
It is usual to suggest after title candidates pick up three points in this manner, where they dominate entirely and their hosts barely raise a hand in protest, that they will have more difficult tests ahead. Yet this time, will that really be true?
City have two league fixtures left to play and an FA Cup final. In order, they play a woefully out-of-form Tottenham who have suffered four straight defeats, then are home to West Ham on the final day, the Hammers being currently without a win in six and having confirmed the impending departure of manager David Moyes. There’s not a whole lot of reasons to suggest they have much to play for.
And at Wembley, sure: it’s Manchester United so it’s a rivalry, a derby and a final for goodness sake, a trophy to play for. But United are truly terrible, have defensive absences to contend with and their only two wins in the last eight have come against rock-bottom Sheffield United and Championship side Coventry, the latter on penalties.
Not that Pep Guardiola will encourage such suggestions, but Man City could easily stroll from here on out and there’s nothing at all that Arsenal, in particular, can do about it.
Guardiola said Manchester City have the destiny of the Premier League title in their hands after a 4-0 demolition of Fulham took them to the top of the table on Saturday.
Josko Gvardiol bagged the opener and the defender struck again after Phil Foden’s goal before Julian Alvarez’s stoppage-time penalty sealed a commanding performance at Craven Cottage.
“Since they (Arsenal) lost against Aston Villa the destiny is in our hands,” Guardiola said.
“In the last game of the season against West Ham the destiny is in our hands and that is what we want. It will be difficult but we are ready for the challenge.”
City overcame an eight-point deficit in the title race last season to catch Arsenal and take the trophy.
They have also came out on top in tense title races with Liverpool during Guardiola’s dynastic reign.
And, with City now unbeaten in 21 league games, the Spaniard saluted his players’ ability to thrive under duress.
“My players like to play with pressure, they are used to it. The players enjoy this feeling,” Guardiola said.
“This season is the same, don’t think about anything other than the next game. Focus on winning the next game and then we will see what happens. We go to London and try to win.”
For three or four energetic minutes after kickoff, it looked as though the Cottagers might put it up to City here, might have the tempo and talent in their game to trouble the would-be champions in their last home game of the season.
That notion died as soon as an early corner claim didn’t go their way: Marco Silva’s side reverted to their half of the pitch for the ensuing goal kick and barely left it again for the remainder of the first 45.
And so City passed, City pressed, City kept possession. It wasn’t intense; it didn’t need to be.
During the week, there had been an amount of discussion over Fulham’s kiteflying antics in training.
It has become commonplace to refer to teams whose seasons have come to an end prematurely as being on the beach, while they waltz through their last irrelevant fixtures.
Factor in the kites, the scorching sunshine and the proximity of their stadium to west London’s green areas and Fulham perhaps switched it up to being down the park instead – but the outcome was the same. The effort levels, too.
Unless one of their remaining three opponents raise their game and find their form fast, City will have another, silverware-laden, procession to look forward to back in Manchester at the end of the month. – The Independent/AFP