Kompany’s big night back at City ruined by Guardiola’s unstoppable six machines
VINCENT KOMPANY saw the Poznan in all its glory many times during his time at Manchester City – but this one will have cut him to the bone.
The spectacular sight of the fans who still worship him, backs turned to the pitch, bouncing up and down with pure joy was not the kind of return the Belgian envisaged when the FA Cup’s quarter-final draw gave him the chance to go up against Pep Guardiola.
This was meant to be his night, a stage to show that talk of succeeding Guardiola is based on more than Sky Blue sentiment – but the only opportunity Kompany got was the chance to salute City’s supporters and 9,000 travelling Clarets before the carnage ensued.
Erling Haaland showed City’s most successful skipper that he is already too big for the shootboots left behind by Sergio Aguero.
The Norwegian helped himself to a hat-trick – the sixth time he has taken home a match ball in only 37 appearances in Sky Blue.
It’s 42 goals for the season for
Alfie’s lad now – and even the barrel-chested Argentine stick of dynamite who once helped Kompany deliver a decade of unparalleled success to the blue side of Manchester never posted those numbers.
Another Argentine, the World Cup-winning Julian Alvarez helped himself to a double, while academy graduate Cole Palmer got on the scoresheet after coming on as a substitute.
Kompany has bigger things to concern himself with.
And his bright Burnley team will be better for this chastening experience when they return as a Premier League side next seaing
son. But how this will have hurt the man who was City’s spiritual leader on the pitch after joining the club the week before Sheikh Mansour’s transformative takeover.
It’s easy to forget that Kompany is still only 36. Until, that is, you see his muscular frame looking barely unchanged from when he was at his peak.
Former City team-mates David Silva and Fernandinho are still pulling on their boots and are both a year older.
This was only his 140th game as a manager – and it’s one he’ll remember forever.
His Mancunian wife Carla
with their City-mad kids Kai, Caleb and Sienna in the executive box he still pays for.
There was a handshake from City legend Mike Summerbee and a rousing reception from the fans before kick-off.
Then Guardiola gave him a warm embrace – before his team delivered the kiss of death.
Burnley did themselves proud in the opening 31 minutes.
Their front-foot approach forced City to be more Route One than Tika Taka and Lyle Foster forced Stefan Ortega into a diving save with a shot from distance.
But Kompany would have sensed what might happen next.
He used to live nights like these at the heart of the action.
And sure enough, Burnley were doomed the moment they dropped their guard.
It was only for a second - but that’s all it takes when Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne or Phil Foden are lurking.
Or, as happened at the Etiwas had, all three in tandem. Haaland, scorer of five Champions League goals just four days earlier, struck twice in the space of 179 devastating seconds and it was game over.
That he would score again to confirm another treble felt like a formality.
It is the sixth time City have reached the semi-finals under Guardiola.
That they have only lifted the trophy once under the Catalan
– when Kompany did the trophy honours in 2019 – will irk a man of Guardiola’s ambitions. As the fans made their way home at the final whistle, many of them stopped to pay their respects one more time to the statue of Kompany erected outside the East Stand in his honour.
Aguero and Silva have also been cast in bronze for the part they played in Manchester City’s rise.
What price Haaland joining those giants if he sticks around long enough?