HAPPY DIAS
Ruben’s delight as champs claim another ‘special’ clean sheet
RUBEN DIAS claimed that Manchester City stars have the “tunnel vision” to keep winning after earning back-to-back Premier League clean sheets for the first time since August.
“Better than having won is to keep winning,” he insisted as City prepare for a huge month ahead.
Title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal both romped to 4-0 victories at Bournemouth this season.
But the reigning champions needed to run down the clock during a nervous six minutes of second-half injury time on the freezing south coast to protect their slender lead and close within a point of leaders Liverpool.
Goalscorer Phil Foden (right), John Stones and Bernardo Silva threw their shirts into the crowd in relief and celebration after City extended their unbeaten run to 17 games.
“It was a game where we knew we were going to have to fight,” admitted Dias, 26.
The Portuguese defender’s amazing spoken English – with more than a hint of a Mancunian accent – was more fluent than City’s stuttering second-half performance but his team showed the grit to get the result. “It is special for us to keep consecutive clean sheets,” he said.
“It is 1-0 the last two games so it is important for us. It will help us win games for sure.
“And to be ready for the challenges that are coming, thinking about the next one.”
The next is Luton in the FA Cup tomorrow with the Champions League winners facing the formality of returning to the last eight of the competition against Copenhagen next week. And Premier League fixtures against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal loom large.
Becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier Leagues – and even consecutive trebles – is still on for the FIFA Club World Cup champions who have already won everything.
So how do manager Pep
Guardiola’s team stay motivated? “I guess better than having won is to keep winning,” said the £61million signing. “You can look back and start to count your numbers in time. But that is the pinnacle in terms of a mix between experience and how you actually play.
“We are all young and we are not looking back yet.
“Because the more we accumulate, the more we think forward. We have won so much but let’s keep on winning, let’s keep the mentality, and let’s keep it coming.
“The better it will be when we actually look back on all of it.
“It is a difficult exercise – I won’t lie – because it is very easy to get into a comfort zone but that is the main reason why I love to be part of this team because it is not easy to find a group of players who have the capacity to keep the tunnel vision and look forward.” Foden scored the 24th-minute winner after Neto had parried Erling Haaland’s shot. And Kevin De Bruyne – who came off the bench late on – Jack Grealish and Josko Gvardiol are all returning for the run-in.
“We are going to use them,” said Guardiola. “We need everyone.”
And the Catalan added: “Of course we are tired but we will recover and we will be ready for Luton.
“We want to go through. We played against Brentford and Brentford is like going to the dentist without anaesthetic.
“Do you know why we played against Brentford? We played the World Cup in Saudi Arabia, two games. I see the schedule.
“Then the big moments. United, then maybe FA Cup or Brighton, then Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa. Still we are only one point behind. That is good.
“I don’t know what is going to happen with my players after they win everything, how they would react. Oh my God.”
BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Neto 7; A Smith 6, Zabarnyi 6, Senesi 5 (Faivre 80), Kerkez 6 (Sinisterra 88); CHRISTIE 7 (Unal 88), L Cook 6; Semenyo 6, Kluivert 5 (Scott 68, 5), Tavernier 5 (Ouattara 68, 5); Solanke 7
MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson 7; Akanji 7, Stones 7, Ruben Dias 7, Ake 6; Rodri 7, Kovacic 7 (De Bruyne 84); Bernardo Silva 6, FODEN 8, Nunes 6 (Doku 63, 6), Haaland 6 (Alavarez 75, 5)