Double win results in a joyful night for academy
CITY’S academy had one of the best nights in its existence, with triumphs on both sides of the Pennines.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Eric Garcia and Adrian Bernabe all starred as the Blues won 3-0 in Preston, but supplying players for Pep Guardiola’s team meant that the under-21s had to send a weakened side to Valley Parade for the Leasing.com Trophy.
But Paul Harsley’s team made it two wins from two in the trophy, which mixes League One and League Two opposition with top academy teams, with a 2-1 triumph at Bradford.
That means they have qualified with a game - away to Bolton on October 29 - to spare.
Last year, dreaming of a Wembley date, they reached the quarter-finals, but lost to a much more experienced Sunderland outfit in front of nearly 15,000 fans at the Stadium of Light.
Now they are just four wins from the final again after goals from Morgan Rogers and Tommy Doyle, (pictured) saw them come from behind.
That had elite development squad manager Harsley praising the academy’s depth.
“It was a great evening for the academy all round,” he said. “Nights like that are all we can hope for, obviously with us winning and getting through to the knockout stages but, just as importantly, seeing Eric and Taylor playing together at centre-back for the first team and Adrian getting on as well.
“Everything we work for has come together on one night, so we have to enjoy occasions like that, and I am so pleased for everyone connected.
“It’s brilliant because the manager (Pep) is more than willing to give the lads an opportunity. He saw them on the pre-season tour to Asia, he sees them with us, and he sees them in training, and it makes everyone proud.
“When we see a result like last night’s and the lads playing for the first team it is magnificent.
“We went even younger at Bradford and had young Sammy Robinson out there. He was great and it’s something we embrace.
“The lads did really well.” HE’S become the king of the cups, but for how much longer can Pep Guardiola keep Gabriel Jesus as his luxury reserve?
The Brazilian is rapidly making an unarguable case to become one of City’s main men.
Unfortunately for him, the player he’s competing with is THE man.
Sergio Aguero is a hero at the Etihad and the 5,000 travelling fans sang his name at Deepdale on Tuesday even though the Argentine was at home with his feet up.
In his absence Jesus lead the line IAN Holloway has branded Pep Guardiola’s City team as the best in Premier League history - ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson’s United sides.
The champions have claimed backto-back Premier League titles under the Catalan for the first time in their history and have set the new record for number of points accumulated and he did so expertly, as we’ve come to expect. The 22-year-old has now scored in his last five starts for City and has 14 in his last 12 starts.
It’s a phenomenal record, but when the Blues line up at Goodison Park on Saturday tea-time it would be a surprise if Jesus wasn’t back on the bench, with Aguero restored to the side.
Because while Jesus scores every time he starts, so does City’s record goalscorer at the moment.
Aguero has eight Premier League goals this season and has scored in all six of his appearances.
He’s undroppable, but his reserve after reaching 100 in the 2017/18 campaign.
After amassing 198 points in their last two seasons, many have regarded Guardiola’s outfit as the best team to grace the Premier League and Holloway agrees.
The former Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool boss has compared City to the great United teams under Ferguson, but while Holloway refused to directly compare the two is rapidly heading into the same category.
For Guardiola it’s the equivalent of having a Bugatti on the drive and a Ferrari in the garage, just as a runaround for when he pops into town.
Jesus and Aguero are two of the most in-form strikers in world football at the moment.
There is an obvious succession plan here, with Aguero’s contract expiring in 2021, by which point he will be 33. He could still cause Premier League defences merry hell at that age, but has also hinted previously that he’d like to return to Argentina to finish his career with boyhood club Independiente.
Until then Jesus will have to continue to be patient, even if that feels unusual for a striker who excelled for Brazil in the Copa America in the summer.
The list of strikers who have been regulars for Brazil but not their club side is a very small one.
You certainly can’t accuse Jesus of not taking his chances, or of failing to keep Aguero on his toes. legendary bosses, he did admit City’s current crop are the best England’s top tier has seen.
He said: “Yes, I think so. They’re that outstanding at what they do and they’re so difficult to stop.
“I would say that Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest managers of all time in my opinion.
“You can’t compare Pep and Sir Alex as it’s completely different His recent goalscoring record is remarkable.
Against Preston he’d already tested Connor Ripley with a 20-yard shot before he found space in the left-hand channel, timing his run perfectly to latch on to Raheem Sterling’s pass and sending a first-time finish through the legs of Ripley. It was the finish of a natural goalscorer.
He linked brilliantly with Sterling all night. Between them they almost conjured a memorable team goal in the first half, a move which began with the precocious Eric Garcia dribbling the ball out of defence. Ilkay Gundogan then sent Jesus racing clear, but he stepped over the ball to let Sterling in, before the England winger returned the favour. Jesus clipped a cool finish over Ripley, but in amongst the Harlem Globetrotter-esque link play he had strayed offside. It was almost as if the game was coming too easily to City’s attacking gems. Guardiola does potentially have an ace up his sleeve if he wants to Tyrone Marshall considering the way the game is changing.
“I don’t think you can cross over time barriers. Fergie built four teams in one club during his time at Manchester United.
“I think Guardiola has built three teams at the three clubs he’s been at which is pretty outstanding. On three different levels, that takes some doing. Both of them stand out by a million miles to me.”