PEP’S GOT CITY PURRING AGAIN
THE first proper title race between Manchester United and Liverpool to have occurred in years rightly whetted appetites over the weekend. Yet, after it, the most success- ful Premier League team of the past decade now have this season in their own hands.
Manchester City are two points off the top with a game in hand, a situation negotiated on the quiet as eyes fixed elsewhere. They will sit first, for a couple of hours at least, should Aston Villa be dealt with here on Wednesday.
The climb to this campaign’s peak has been methodical rather than lung-busting. Like plenty before them, Palace were in the game for long spells. In the game, but never really affecting it — and there is a skill to the way City are managing their tasks one by one.
Teams are not leaving the Etihad having been slapped for five or six every week, as was so common a few years ago, but Pep Guardiola has moulded a very different side now.
One that does not concede many, if any. More robust, although still owning that finalthird flair to unlock even the most stubborn defence.
With four relatively comfortable league fixtures in succession now, the resurgence could go on a little longer.
Particularly when their main protagonist is in this sort of mood. There is not a great deal left to be said of Kevin de Bruyne. Guardiola has referenced how exhausted the entire division is at the moment yet when a mind whirrs with De Bruyne’s electricity, all of that tiredness is rendered largely insignificant.
John Stones headed home the opener, his first league goal for the club. Another would follow.
The night would always be defined by the frequency with which the hosts could pick a way through Palace’s midfield bank of five.
Obvious chances were relatively sparse, owing to Palace’s defensive effort. Three of Roy Hodgson’s men threw themselves in front of efforts in one sequence, while Gabriel Jesus might have added a second goal at the end of a sharp move involving Gundogan.
The German would not be outdone by De Bruyne. Gundogan’s goal, 11 minutes into the second half, was just as fabulous as the Belgian’s assist.
Winning possession back just outside the box, Gundogan curled the ball far into Guaita’s left-hand corner. In these strange times, the quality of an effort is often determined by the yelp of the benches and this prompted plenty of involuntary squealing. Similar can be said of Sterling’s perfect free-kick, beautifully placed into the exact same spot for City’s fourth of the night.
Between those strikes was Stones again, showing the confidence of a man whose career has been reborn, at the heart of a team now reminding rivals they actually fancy this title, too. MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-4-1): Ederson 6; Walker 6.5, Dias 8, Stones 8.5, Zinchenko 7.5; Fernandinho 6.5; Silva 7 (Foden 60mins, 6.5), Gundogan 8 (Torres 71, 6), DE BRUYNE 9 (Cancelo 71, 6), Sterling 8; Jesus 6.5. Subs not
used: Steffen, Rodri, Mendy, Mahrez, Delap, Doyle. Manager: Pep Guardiola 7. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-5-1): Guaita 5; Ward 6, Tomkins 5, Cahill 5, Mitchell 6; Townsend 6 (Batshuayi 79), McCarthy 6, Milivojevic 5 (Riedewald 68, 6), McArthur 6, Eze 6.5; Ayew 6.5. Subs not used: Butland, Clyne, Van Aanholt, Dann, Benteke. Manager: Roy Hodgson 6. Referee: Lee Mason 6.
(caused by a tick bite), the herpes simplex virus, zika (spread by mosquitoes), syphilis, rabies and even chronic gum disease. The theory is serious forms of neurodegenerative decline can stem from the body’s reaction to these infections, though research is ongoing.
But not everyone who has had a brain infection develops Alzheimer’s, and not everyone who gets dementia can attribute the condition solely to an infection.
RISK FACTORS YOU CAN CHANGE
YOU might not be able to reverse a Lyme disease diagnosis, but you can take really good care of your dental health to avoid gum disease.
You can stop smoking, cut back on alcohol consumption, seek help for depression and talk to your GP about the medications you might be taking (see box far left).
Even mild hearing loss can cause brain changes that can double your risk of dementia, but getting fitted with a hearing aid can help protect your brain.
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a staggering amount of memory loss. But taking steps to improve your sleep quality is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve all brain functions.
Studies show that too much sitting, like smoking, increases the risk of ill-health and thins regions of the brain that are critical for memory formation. The brain prefers a body in motion, and it doesn’t take much activity to reap enormous benefits. It has long been known that metabolic disorders such as obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol put you at greater risk of dementia. In fact, there is such a strong correlation between diabetes (particularly uncontrolled diabetes) and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease that Alzheimer’s is commonly referred to as ‘type 3 diabetes’. But it is good to know that lifestyle changes can have a significant impact on both.
Leaving school at 16 might also put you in a higher risk category because multiple studies show that people with more years of formal education or greater literacy have a lower risk of the disease.
But, as I will show in tomorrow’s Irish Daily Mail, you can make up for any educational deficit immediately and start bolstering your protection right away.