SHELV IT, PEP!
TV pundit Joe Cole say ‘City have handed the title to Liverpool’
MANCHESTER CITY’S shock defeat at Newcastle on January 29 inspired them to the title.
Ten months on, they drew against the same opposition, but this result feels far more damaging.
BT Sport pundit Joe Cole put it starkly after the match when he said: “I think Man City have handed Liverpool the title here today.
“I think Liverpool will probably win and 11 points is too much to come back from.”
They did, though they made heavy weather of it yesterday against a resilient Brighton side.
Cole’s fellow pundit Jermaine Jenas added: “I think the gap is too big for City.” Pep Guardiola’s reaction to last season’s setback was to inspire his team to win their remaining 14 league games. They could win their next 24 and it would probably still not be sufficient, not that Guardiola’s current side look capable of putting together a similar run.
It was a Liverpool old boy Jonjo Shelvey who did the damage with an 88th-minute equaliser, finding the net with a piledriver, following a well-worked free-kick by Christian Atsu.
Six minutes earlier, Kevin De Bruyne had looked like earning City a crucial, yet barely deserved, win with a breathtaking strike.
After Paul Dummett headed away Bernard Mendy’s cross, the
Belgian controlled the ball with his chest before crashing an unstoppable shot past Martin Dubravka off the underside of the bar. City’s wild celebrations betrayed their relief before Shelvey wiped the smiles off their faces.
Guardiola, predictably, doesn’t want to discuss their flagging title prospects, but was surprisingly upbeat.
“We just have to win games and see what happens,” said the Spaniard, who was unhappy with Fernandinho’s foul on Javier Manchillo, leading to that late leveller.
“But the way we played showed we wanted to win the game and did everything we could to do so.
“It is not easy when they defend big and solid with 10 players in the box. We should have avoided that free-kick at the end, but still created enough chances to win.”
The possession stats may point to a one-sided contest, but that was far from the case, especially after Jetro Willems cancelled out Raheem Sterling’s 22nd-minute opener within three minutes.
There was nothing sophisticated about the Toon’s game plan, but it was effective in closing down space and squeezing City’s frontmen.
It meant that, despite the visitors having around 75 per cent of the ball, only spasmodically did they look a threat.
Steve Bruce (above left) was delighted with his Magpies players.
“To come back twice against a side like City bodes well,” he said.
“That’s Jonjo’s second goal in t p h o
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a A S
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three games and I’ve been very pleased with him and the way he has responded to what we’ve asked of him.
“Whose goal was better – his or De Bruyne’s? I’ll let you decide.”
Newcastle’s strategy was all about utilising the pace of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-maximum’s ball wizardry.
On one occasion before halftime, he set off from just outside his own box and by the time the move petered out, he had run over 60 yards and beaten three opponents.
These twin weapons meant the Magpies were always dangerous on the counter, though Willems’ second goal of the season showed up City’s defensive deficiencies.
He was allowed far too much time to control Almiron’s pass inside, before hammering a low drive past Ederson.
City had broken the deadlock with a goal that combined good fortune and artistry. Two ricochets favoured the attacking side, but there was no doubting the deftness of David Silva’s flick nor the technique in Sterling’s finish as Guardiola’s men scored for the 18th away game in a row.
It should have provided a winning platform, but Newcastle are a tough nut on home soil these days and they were never intimidated by City’s pretty patterns.
They still had to defend stoutly, while the away side will rue several chances which got away.
In the 68th minute, Dubravka did brilliantly to foil both Gabriel
Jesus and De Bruyne at point-blank range, while, moments after coming off the bench,
Bernardo Silva dragged a shot wide.
Then at the death,
De Bruyne dropped the ball at the feet of Sterling, but the
Toon keeper was down quickly to thwart him.