JESUS SPARES PEP’S BLUSHES
Striker’s late header saves City from shock defeat
IT was midway through the second half and with his side trailing, Pep Guardiola waved his arms in what seemed like every direction imaginable before shrugging his shoulders.
What did it mean? Who knows? Certainly not his players. It was some form of instruction to which the manager felt his team had not adhered. For this was City at their dysfunctional worst, and Guardiola’s arm-flapping hardly helped. It was dizzying to watch, never mind try to decipher.
Guardiola had trialled a three-man defence, but Chelsea they were not. Come the end it had been ditched. City escaped with a point thanks to some favourable refereeing — Leroy Sane won a penalty converted by Sergio Aguero — and Gabriel Jesus combining with Aguero five minutes from the end.
Guardiola emerged to claim that City deserved to win. Given that each of their top-six rivals have won here this season, this was two points dropped. He prickled at the suggestion that his side were lucky to draw.
‘Fortunate? I don’t think so. We deserved to win,’ he said, resisting the urge to wave his arms. ‘In the second half they crossed the halfway line twice. We were much better.’
Guardiola’s assessment was unfair on Boro, who led in the first half through Alvaro Negredo — against his former club — and after half-time courtesy of Calum Chambers.
This was their best performance of the season, although that newfound resolve has probably come too late, as they remain six points from safety.
But they were not happy with referee Kevin Friend nor Sane for their part in City’s first equaliser. Sane’s careless touch took him away from goal, but careless was about the best description for the presence of Martin de Roon’s leg, which the City substitute clipped before falling to the turf. De Roon felt hard done by.
‘I went to him, but I didn’t step into him,’ he said. ‘He lost the ball, so he fell into me. It was clever. I told the ref he would watch it back and he would see it’s not a penalty.’
Sane had a different take, according to Guardiola, who said: ‘Sane told me it was a penalty. Sane said at Southampton it wasn’t a penalty, so we are fair in our judgments.’
If Guardiola was fair in his judgments he would have admitted that City were poor as they limped towards a top-four finish. Limping, too, was Aguero, who was forced off late on. His penalty was cool and his cross for Jesus was precise. But he was only the second best forward on show, for his ex-City strike partner Negredo was outstanding and opened the scoring with a slice of good fortune.
Stewart Downing squared to the edge of the area, where the ball found its way to Negredo. He took aim with his left, only to see the shot deflect off his right and curl into the corner.
Boro looked comfortable before Aguero’s leveller but recovered through Chambers. He bundled home following Negredo’s refusal to accept that the ball was dead after Willy Caballero saved from a free-kick.
Fans were celebrating when Jesus hushed them with the final goal. Boro could be relegated next weekend and there is a frustration that they have only produced their best in April. Still, they will take heart from this, which is more than can be said for City.