CITY SEEK TO AVOID A SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS
UNAPOLOGETIC PEP HAS BEEN LEFT WITH A POINT TO PROVE BY TUCHEL OUTWITTING HIM THREE TIMES
IF HIS recent run-in with the Manchester City Supporters Club told us anything, it is that Pep Guardiola is not given to apologising when he does not think he has done anything wrong. But while the City boss stands by his comments about attendances at the Etihad Stadium, Sunday’s trip to Chelsea may at least give him cause for regret, sparking unhappy memories of May’s Champions League final defeat to Thomas Tuchel’s men.
Five Premier League titles in ten years – and three in four seasons under Guardiola – have made City the pre-eminent force in English football but one losing appearance in Europe’s biggest game during that period illustrates just how hard it is to translate domestic dominance into continental success.
With opportunities to lift the European Cup so fleeting, City might rue the nature of their defeat in Porto, even if Guardiola will not admit it in public.
The fallout from Chelsea’s 1-0 win was dominated by talk of Guardiola’s decision not to play either of City’s outstanding defensive midfielders – Fernandinho or Rodri – for only the second time in 61 games.
It was a gamble which saw Tuchel’s men win the midfield battle and ultimately the final, and one which left Guardiola accused of overthinking things, and perhaps even vanity in the cause of the Spaniard trying to prove his own genius.
With the game bringing down the curtain on the 2020/21 campaign the City manager, who also started without a recognised striker and preferred an out-of-sorts Raheem Sterling to in-form Phil Foden, was left with plenty of thinking time.
Perhaps he will have used it to ponder how Tuchel – a man who only took charge at Stamford Bridge in January – had managed to get the better of him three times already. At
Stamford Bridge tomorrow we may learn if he has found any answers.
If the early weeks of the new campaign are anything to go by, the chances of Guardiola getting his own back on the German may not be not high.
City have started the defence of their title in uneven fashion, beaten at Tottenham on the opening day, thrashing Arsenal and Norwich, edging Leicester at the King Power Stadium before drawing a blank at home to Southampton last Saturday, a game they didn’t really deserve to win.
Chelsea have been more convincing. Whereas City’s former Barcelona coach will always be associated with a certain style, Blues boss Tuchel is all about substance.
If his team have a defining characteristic, it is not anything about their passing, shape or the way they press the ball. It is simply that they nearly always win.
With one goal conceded in all competitions, and that a penalty at Liverpool after being reduced to ten men, the margin of error for Chelsea’s opponents is tiny.
With the signing of Romelu Lukaku it got even smaller, the Belgian’s ruthless proficiency in front of goal fixing the one glaring flaw that remained in Chelsea’s game.
Now, even when they are second best, as they were at home to Aston Villa for 45 minutes recently, Lukaku scored with two of the Blues’ four shots on target as they eventually ran
out 3-0 winners. At Tottenham on Sunday, after another sub-par first half, Tuchel substituted midfielder Mason Mount for World Cup-winner N’Golo Kante at the break. Again the result was a 3-0 win.
Any manager would be embarrassed by the riches the German has at his disposal but he has consistently shown he knows when and how to use them.
By contrast, City’s latest incarnation are still finding their way. With Sergio Aguero’s summer departure and the club cuckolded by Manchester United in their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, they lack a recognisable centre forward.
Nine different City players have scored in the league so far this season but only Ferran Torres has struck more than once.
Ten of their 11 goals have come in two games. Their strength is also their weakness.
At the back, like Chelsea, City have conceded just one top-flight goal, and that solidity may persuade Guardiola they can hang with Chelsea tomorrow and beyond.
City’s most recent title triumph was built on a renewed parsimony at the back that owed something, but not everything, to the inspired play of new centre-half Ruben Dias. City, whisper it quietly, became more pragmatic last term. More cautious without the ball, with less emphasis on closing down high up the field and more focus on guarding against being caught out by teams who used their
high-press against them.
Indeed, even Guardiola’s much-maligned Champions League final selection could be seen as an attempt to negate the opposition, rather than arrogantly overlook them.
Asked to explain why the more attacking Ilkay Gundogan was given the defensive midfield brief, the City boss said: ‘I decided to have quality players. To have speed, to find the small players, the quality, the brilliant players, inside, in the middle and between the lines.’
In short, he felt the best form of defensive midfielder was one who kept the ball and could use it to cause damage to Chelsea.
It was not the first time Guardiola had changed tack in a big European game and felt the consequences. The previous season, the little-seen Eric Garcia was deployed as a third centre-half in the quarter-final with Lyon. It didn’t work and City suffered a surprise defeat.
So Guardiola can be accused of gambling at the wrong time but the same critics can no longer accuse him of being a purist with no Plan B. And, on the whole, his efforts to stiffen City’s resolve in the past 12 months have paid off.
Tuchel, then, would be wise to expect the unexpected again when they meet at Stamford Bridge but a City team who play for a point would not be a surprise.
Lose to Chelsea and a six-point gap at the top to a team who rarely look like losing would be bad news for City’s title aspirations. But if Guardiola’s men do lose, don’t lose sleep waiting for the apology.
Last season’s Champions League finalists meet again with Thomas Tuchel incredibly looking to get the better of Pep Guardiola for the fourth successive time since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. If that were to happen, it would leave City six points adrift after just six games and, despite the strength in depth shown in their 6-1 Carabao Cup win over Wycombe, might see them deposed as the bookies’ title favourites. Mike Dean has refereed this fixture a remarkable eight times but Michael Oliver gets the gig tomorrow.
MATCH STAT CHELSEA HAVE WON 27 OF THE PREVIOUS 48 PREMIER LEAGUE MEETINGS WITH CITY
MAN UNITED V ASTON VILLA SATURDAY, 12.30PM
Despite the early kick-off, this game has not been selected for live television coverage – instead it is to avoid a clash with a Courteeners gig at the nearby cricket ground. This shouldn’t be a bad warm-up act, though. United may have signed Cristiano Ronaldo but they never seem to make life easy for themselves and blew another trophy chance in the Carabao Cup this week. Villa kick-started their season with a 3-0 victory over Everton, when academy graduate Jacob Ramsey again showed there is life after Jack Grealish. MATCH STAT UNITED HAVE WON 14 AND DRAWN FOUR OF THEIR LAST 18 MEETINGS WITH ASTON VILLA
EVERTON V NORWICH SATURDAY, 3PM
That defeat at Villa Park and a Carabao Cup exit at QPR in midweek were a wake-up call for Everton after their fine start under Rafael Benitez. They will also see tomorrow’s game as the perfect chance to put things right against a Norwich side whose very presence in the top flight feels rather pointless right now. Manager Daniel Farke insists their poor start ‘doesn’t mean we are relegated’, while Todd Cantwell, a surprise non-starter in the last two league games, missed the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool for ‘personal reasons’. MATCH STAT CANTWELL SCORED THE FIRST IN NORWICH’S 2-0 WIN AT EVERTON TWO SEASONS AGO
LEEDS V WEST HAM SATURDAY, 3PM
Declan Rice seems to be one of those players who is constantly linked with a transfer despite appearing perfectly happy where he is. You can bet David Moyes’ opinion of his West Ham captain – except when Mark Noble appears for the odd kick – is pretty similar to his coach Kevin Nolan, who said: ‘I wouldn’t sell him for £100million.’ Leeds hope to welcome Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling back after lacking cutting edge before beating Fulham on penalties in their Carabao Cup tie in midweek. MATCH STAT LEEDS GOALKEEPER ILLAN MESLIER HAS MADE MOST TOP-FLIGHT SAVES (22) THIS TERM
LEICESTER V BURNLEY SATURDAY, 3PM
Whether or not the transfer speculation has played a part, James Maddison’s form has dipped alarmingly during Leicester’s sluggish start to the season. Brendan Rodgers has kept the faith so far but Ademola Lookman staked his case to start as the Foxes almost salvaged a point at Brighton and scored at Millwall in midweek. The Clarets are still seeking their first league win but they got a much-needed lift as four-goal Jay Rodriguez saw them come from behind to beat Rochdale 4-1 in the Carabao Cup.
MATCH STAT HARVEY BARNES’ DAD PAUL SCORED 30 GOALS IN 65 LEAGUE GAMES FOR BURNLEY
WATFORD V NEWCASTLE SATURDAY, 3PM
It says all you need to know about Watford’s job security levels that boss Xisco Munoz wrote on social media: ‘Happy to reach 40 games as Watford manager!’ That includes pre-season friendlies and was before a home Carabao Cup exit to Stoke, but even so the smiling Spaniard has outlasted his three predecessors. Joy is in short supply at Newcastle even if Steve Bruce is not faced with a revolving door. The fans’ answer to Allan Saint-Maximin’s skills in securing a 1-1 draw with Leeds? As ever: ‘We want Brucie out.’ MATCH STAT NEWCASTLE HAVEN’T WON ON THEIR SIX PREMIER LEAGUE VISITS TO VICARAGE ROAD
BRENTFORD V LIVERPOOL SATURDAY, 5.30PM, SKY SPORTS
While much of the focus will be at Stamford Bridge, a short distance away, Liverpool will be looking to become outright Premier League leaders. Questions about the form of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah belong firmly in last season, even if the latter seems to want to show off his physique as much as Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the Bees have a model striker of their own in the form of Ivan Toney who has made a flying start in the Premier League, having done the hard yards since leaving Newcastle in 2016. MATCH STAT 4-0 WIN FOR LIVERPOOL WHEN THE SIDES LAST MET IN THE FA CUP SIXTH ROUND IN 1989
SOUTHAMPTON V WOLVES SUNDAY, 2PM, SKY SPORTS
Most of the attention was on their shot-shy hosts but Southampton’s fourth draw in a row – their shut-out at Manchester City – was their most encouraging, even if VAR played a part in ensuring they did not manage a goal. Failing to score was threatening to become a recurring theme for Wolves, although Bruno Lage’s pledge to play more expansive football did at least see them peg Tottenham back from 2-0 before losing on penalties in the Carabao Cup. Despite that, Raul Jimenez still badly needs a goal.
MATCH STAT BOTH TEAMS HAVE SCORED IN EACH OF SAINTS’ LAST FIVE LEAGUE GAMES WITH WOLVES
CRYSTAL PALACE V BRIGHTON MONDAY, 8PM, SKY SPORTS
It might be a rivalry that takes some explaining to those from further afield but hostilities are every bit as juicy between these two as they are in north London. It is certainly a fixture that has brought the best out of Palace’s Wilfried Zaha over the years, having scored seven goals in this fixture. Brighton go into the game having won four out of five so far but will hope influential midfielder Yves Bissouma recovers in time from the knock he took in the closing stages of Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Leicester.
MATCH STAT THIS FIXTURE HAS ENDED 1-1 IN THE PAST TWO SEASONS, WITH PALACE WINNING AWAY
ONE TO WATCH JARRED GILLETT/REFEREE
The Australian is being billed as the first overseas referee of a Premier League game when he takes charge of Watford’s game with Newcastle, but he is also the first with a PhD. It was only a matter of time. Dr Gillett, 34, who has had refereeing stints in India, China and Japan, has impressed in the Championship over the last couple of seasons and is already a regular VAR official in the top flight.
DID YOU KNOW? GILLETT IS THE ONLY MAN TO HAVE REFEREED FIVE A-LEAGUE FINALS IN AUSTRALIA