City have upper hand in games against top teams
DO weekends get any better?
On Saturday, Manchester City fans at the Amex Stadium and back home sat open-mouthed as the Blues put in the best first-half performance of any Premier League side this season.
On Sunday, it’s plausible that a fair few of us split our sides laughing at the demise of United. Ten years and a day after the 6-1, they were crushed 5-0 at Old Trafford by Liverpool. 20 times champions of England?
While it was fun to see Jurgen Klopp’s men expose staggering levels of incompetence from our neighbours, it was perhaps a little concerning to see one of City’s title rivals notch such a seismic win. Then there’s the stunning form of Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian’s current form has rightly sparked debate around whether he’s currently the best player in the world, though there really is no reason for us City fans to worry. The table might not reflect it yet, but City are comfortably the best team in the country.
After nine games, Chelsea top the Premier League table with 22 points, followed by Liverpool on 21 and then City on 20. Both of City’s rivals recorded huge wins at the weekend Chelsea beat Norwich 7-0 at Stamford Bridge - but both faced relatively poor teams.
In fact, so far this season, both have struggled against genuine top-level sides. In the league, Chelsea left Anfield with a point back in August before losing away to Juventus in the Champions League.
Liverpool are unbeaten this season, although they did drop points in a chaotic 3-3 draw with Brentford, while in Europe they looked defensively fragile against both AC Milan and Atletico Madrid.
Then there were the pair’s games against City. At Stamford Bridge, the reigning champions dominated Chelsea like few teams ever have.
Pep Guardiola’s side starved their Champions League tormenters of possession to such an extent that they didn’t muster a single shot on target.
As a false nine, Phil Foden left Chelsea’s defenders grasping at thin air. City demonstrated just what they can do to even the best of teams.
A week later at Anfield, City adopted a different approach yet put in another great showing. They were brilliant in the first half, their pressing and organisation silencing a usually intimidating home crowd as Liverpool struggled to cope. After the game, Klopp admitted that the total control City exacted during the opening 45 minutes psychologically damaged his side.
The match ended 2-2 - a hatful of missed City chances and a secondhalf Salah masterclass scuppered City’s hopes of three points - but still, City showed their technical and tactical superiority.
Frustratingly for City, it’s actually been against the mid-to-lower table teams (the ones that Chelsea and Liverpool have been blowing away) that they’ve dropped points. An opening day defeat to Tottenham really should never have happened, while the goalless draw at home to Southampton was just a rare bad day at the office. Still, City can’t afford any more slip-ups against sides lower down the food chain.
It’s clear that when the top sides come face to face, City have the upper hand.
To take four points from trips to Stamford Bridge and Anfield is impressive, and Guardiola will be confident that his side can take all six when Chelsea and Liverpool visit the Etihad Stadium in the second half of the campaign.
There are 100 ways in which City can hurt their opponents, contrary to the lazy stereotype that they merely just pass the ball around. They can strangle teams like a boa constrictor, bamboozle them with false nine movement and slice them apart with overlaps and underlaps.
Yes, it would have been better for City had Liverpool dropped points against United, but when you are the team to beat, there’s no point worrying about anyone else.