Pep must fear City’s lapses adding up to make all the difference
AT least Luton Town’s fans seem to believe that the 115 charges levelled against Manchester City will not actually stick.
There were 3,000 Hatters housed in the corner of the Etihad’s South Stand and they appeared to be having a rare old time teasing the home supporters – despite being forced to watch their team being slowly pulled apart by Pep Guardiola’s defending champions.
“Conference champions, you’ll never sing that,” they chanted.
They were choosing to forget that there are those who want to see City playing local derbies against Oldham, Rochdale and Altrincham.
And that’s even before the Premier League commission being chaired by Arsenal season-ticket holder Murray Rosen KC actually rules on whether or not the Blues have cooked the books.
It is fair to say that even City fans would like to know what the Premier League have actually got on their club, after an investigation that is now into its fifth year.
Luton’s travelling support was rewarded for their backing in the 81st minute when the tireless Ross Barkley dispossessed Matheus Nunes, sat Ruben Dias on his backside and fired a shot into the bottom corner of Ederson’s goal.
Barkley had earlier sent an effort against the crossbar.
But in truth, this was business as usual for City, despite Guardiola ringing the changes ahead of
Wednesday night’s Champions League return with Real Madrid.
Phil Foden, Rodri, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake were on the bench. John Stones was given the afternoon off.
City still scored five to move above Liverpool and Arsenal and go top of the table. The double Treble is getting closer. But in a title race where goal difference may prove to be decisive, the team going for an unprecedented fourth successive title might end up regretting playing this game in second gear. Especially after it had taken them 66 seconds to break the deadlock through Daiki Hashioka’s own-goal.
“We’ve won it all,” sang Luton’s fans before kick-off, reminding Mancunians that for all of City’s travails in the ’80s and ’90s the Hatters have had it much worse.
Luton’s only previous visit to the Etihad was for the Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final in 2011. They lost to AFC Wimbledon on penalties and had to wait another three years to return to the Football League.
But these two clubs do have some history – City fans of a certain vintage will remember David Pleat dancing across the Maine Road pitch in 1983 after Raddy Antic’s goal kept them in the old First Division at the Blues’ expense.
When the home side were ahead in the blink of an eye, some inside the Etihad would have been licking their lips in anticipation.
Luton boss Rob Edwards has been a class act this season. But he was a
In a title race where goal difference could be decisive they might regret
playing the game in second gear
little naive to instruct his men to press City in the opening exchanges, especially when affording Kevin De Bruyne with more than the splitsecond he usually needs to find one of Erling Haaland’s galloping runs.
Especially after seeing Haaland score five times at Kenilworth Road in the FA Cup in February.
De Bruyne’s pass was perfect. Haaland’s first attempt was saved by Thomas Kaminski. His second effort, after Jeremy Doku’s follow-up was blocked, was destined to land somewhere near the corner flag until it struck Hashioka flush in the face and flew into the net.
Edwards has never complained about a casualty list that has wrecked his plans. Ten men were missing. Luton’s bench included two goalkeepers. Their nine substitutes had 13 league starts this season.
They managed to hang in there until the 64th minute when Mateo Kovacic sent a half-volley screaming into the roof of the net from 18 yards.
When Haaland finally claimed his 31st goal of the season from the penalty spot, the home side’s appetite appeared sated.
But Barkley’s goal woke them up again – and Doku and Josko Gvardiol made Luton pay for the privilege by scoring two goals in the final three minutes of the game.