City on cruise control as
MANCHESTER CITY had a game just like this last year. Around the same time of the season, too. Also sandwiched in between two potentially defining matches.
Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley but relatively kind all the same. A chance for Pep Guardiola to make his changes, offer some rest to Rodri after Bayern Munich away and days before a title-tilting shellacking of Arsenal.
The freshness bought that day undoubtedly had a bearing on the treble that would follow.
Luton, in between a double date with Real Madrid, had that feel yesterday. Teams who win the lot need afternoons like this, sticking the cruise control on. City ended it top of the Premier League for the first time since November and with half of their best team on the bench.
‘The team is alive,’ Guardiola said. ‘We spoke with the players before the game about how incredible it is to be here again. We have to admit it, what a privilege, still fighting for the Premier League after all we have done.
‘Madrid next, we’ll give everything with the energy of our people. I have no doubts about how we still run in every department.’
Rodri complained of tiredness in midweek and was promptly given the afternoon off. Bernardo Silva joined him for a jog late on, with City two goals clear, although the pair ended up just standing to watch on the sidelines, celebrating when the mesmeric Jeremy Doku passed in their fourth with three minutes left.
Matheus Nunes started only his seventh league game for the club, Mateo Kovacic ran the game before he reverts back to the bench in the weeks to come, thundering in City’s