Guardiola’s men have the look of champions again
THIS time last year many of Pep Guardiola’s stars were heading to Dubai for some sunny R & R to escape the winter.
Trailing a superlative Liverpool by 16 points, who could blame them?
Fast forward 12 months and those same players were happily putting in the hard yards against Sheffield United on a bitter North West day.
And watching on wrapped up against the elements, Guardiola was basking in the contented warmth of knowing Manchester City are back on the title trail after a game settled by an early Gabriel Jesus goal.
This was a day when Guardiola’s men showed a different set of title credentials.
We all know they can blow teams away with attacking brilliance that suffocates opponents but here was a mature defensive performance led by the immaculate Ruben Dias.
While Manchester United came over all giddy being top of the table and were cleverly picked off by the Blades at Old Trafford in midweek, City made sure they weren’t going to suffer the same fate.
No amateur hour defending, dithering or powder-puff interventions – only a strong focus and decisive commitment.
The hallmark of champions who have been this way before.
Guardiola splashes more on defenders than most teams would ever spend on a striker but, in £61.2million Dias, City have a centre-back who has seamlessly adapted to life in the Premier League.
Chris Wilder’s visitors have the physicality and knowhow to expose any newcomer to the English game but Dias can play and do the ugly stuff too.
And the former Benfica star did more than most to help weather a late mini-bombardment.
After Vincent Kompany left City looked bereft of defensive leadership.
But they’ve now kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight league games and have the ominous look of a team who are going to dig in to make sure they reclaim their crown.
Their rock-solid rearguard meant Guardiola’s stars could keep plugging away up front secure in the knowledge that they were well protected – the kind of reassurance their cross-city rivals so clearly lacked a few days earlier.
This wasn’t cut-throat City but Jesus’ goal was enough to earn three vital points after Ferran Torres wriggled free to pick him out.
The Brazilian striker has big boots to fill in the absence of Sergio Aguero but he was nimble and quick to adjust his balance and beat Aaron Ramsdale.
It was the only time they found the net but that was down to Ramsdale, who thwarted City after the break with his best save from Jesus in injury time after a superb counter-attack.
February threatens to be a key month with games against Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal but
City have the steely look of a team who know they can deliver what they need to lift another title.