15 MINUTES OF FAME
City turn on the style then declare
Those whose jobs it is to promote Manchester City have long been marketing Pep Guardiola’s reign simply as the implementation of ‘ beautiful football’ and that slogan must be with days like these in mind.
Well, 15 minutes of it anyway. That is how long this tie remained competitive on an afternoon the standard of opposition felt immaterial. Birmingham City or Barcelona, when City play like this, there is nothing anybody can do.
Take Riyad Mahrez’s perfectly weighted pass with his outstep for the second goal, ending the contest. Defying logic, really, generating major sidespin with his cue to sink a tricky red, using Kevin De Bruyne as the cushion and an onrushing Bernardo silva timing his run to pot the subsequent black.
The trigonometry involved was breathtaking and the triangles possessed particularly sharp edges. These are the sort of goals City are beginning to engineer with more regularity, an ominous sign for their Premier League title rivals.
silva had already scored by that point, seven minutes prior. Another stunning goal, a half- volley somehow connected with from behind his standing foot, arrowing into the top right-hand corner. It was brought about by Mahrez’s menacing run at the back post that forced George Friend into rushing a clearance. Both the Portuguese’s finishes felt like perfect tributes to Colin Bell, whose recent passing was marked movingly by City before kick-off.
By half-time, once the sprightly Phil Foden had sweetly struck a third from 20 yards — a crisp drive skidding across the goalkeeper — Birmingham were exclusively playing in their own half. Aitor Karanka knew very early that there would be no repeat of his heroics here i n 2015, when Middlesbrough shocked the then Premier League champions.
‘It was good for Kyle (Walker) and Gabriel (Jesus), both of them with minutes,’ said Guardiola. ‘ Riyad got more minutes. (Benjamin) Mendy hadn’t played for a long time. The objective is done.’
Birmingham boss Karanka ka added: ‘I showed them images of De Bruyne and the main thing is to be aggressive and strong.
‘If you come here and stand nd off, allow them to play, then the he only thing that can happened is what did.
‘Maybe they could’ve scored ed four or five. Wwe had to make ke this game uncomfortable.’ MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Steffen 6; Cancelo 6 (Harwood-Bellis 46), Walker 7, Dias 7 (Stones 46), Mendy 6; De Bruyne 9 (Nmecha 46), Rodri 7 (Fernandinho 66), Silva 9; Mahrez 8, Foden 8, Jesus 7 (Delap 75).
Subs not used: Ederson, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Mbete Booked: Walker. BIRMINGHAM CITY (4-2-3-1): Prieto 6; Colin 6, Clarke-Salter 6, San Jose 6, Friend 5; Kieftenbeld 6, Sunjic 6 (Bela 67); Sanchez 6, Toral 56 (Clayton 46), Leko 6 (Jutkiewicz 68); Hogan 5 (Roberts 46).
Subs not used: Etheridge, Pedersen, Dean, McGree, Dacres-Cogley. Booked: Sunjic, Clarke-Salter. Man of the match: Bernardo Silva. Referee: Robert Jones.