Josko’s double may see Pep become a United fan for one day... if they can beat the Gunners
PEP GUARDIOLA has said he could never support Manchester United.
But don’t be surprised if there’s a little bald Spanish fella sitting in disguise on the Stretford End today, wearing a Fred the Red T-shirt and a knotted red-and-white scarf.
Two goals by Josko Gvardiol, a rare right-footer from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez’s injury-time penalty kept the champions in charge of their own destiny.
If they win at Spurs on Tuesday night and beat West Ham at the Etihad on Sunday, then they will lift a recordbreaking fourth successive title regardless of what chasing Arsenal can do at Old Trafford this afternoon.
City now lead the table by two points with two games left to play. Making history appears to be a formality.
Guardiola, of course, is a control freak who likes to do things his own way.
But, deep down, he wouldn’t mind the rivals from across town defying logic by taking points off Mikel Arteta’s men to make his task much easier – even though the Gunners’ once superior goal difference is now down to just two.
City have never won a Premier League game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
They haven’t even taken a point from four previous visits. They did knock Ange Postecoglou’s side out of the FA Cup in January – but Nathan Ake’s scrambled late winner was the 102nd effort they had produced on goal there and it remains their only goal.
City have also lost there in the Champions League.
So, despite Guardiola’s incredulity that he could even contemplate cheering on United, the suggestion may not be so ridiculous.
City have been here so many times before.
They used to break Scouse hearts. Now, it seems, it will once again be north London ones. Fulham boss Marco Silva’s players had been filmed flying kites at the training ground during the week, looking more like schoolboys on their summer holidays than a team ready to tear it up with City.
But Fulham’s in-your-face approach in the early stages suggested they weren’t on the beach just yet.
City took a deep breath and did what they always do – grinding opponents down with a pass-and-move efficiency that was mesmerising.
Even Fulham top scorer Rodrigo Muniz had to chase shadows on the halfway line
with a grimace suggesting this wasn’t what the Brazilian had signed up for.
When City scored a goal of breathtaking beauty in the 13th minute, it was like a bolt from the blue.
A blur of 19 passes ended as Gvardiol swapped passes with Kevin De
Bruyne on the edge of the
Cottagers’ box.
Gvardiol is the Croatian centre-back who Guardiola has turned into a goal-scoring left-back – but he cut inside at speed to beat keeper Bernd Leno with a low shot with his supposedly
weaker right foot. By the break, City had made 424 successful passes. More than double what the home side had managed.
There was no let-up after the break, even if the sight of Fulham substitute Adama Traore running at pace did evoke memories of him tormenting Guardiola’s team when he was at Wolves. When Gvardiol scored again, sliding in at the far post to steer home Bernardo Silva’s cross, it was his fifth goal in the last seven games.
Watching City fan and rock
star Noel Gallagher (below) joined in celebrations with the 3,000 travelling fans – but conspicuously refrained from doing the Poznan.
By then, Foden had made sure City were home and hosed. Silva’s shot was blocked by Joao Palhinha, but it only invited Foden to swing his right foot and his drive found the bottom corner.
Erling Haaland missed a golden chance to increase City’s lead.
The Norwegian had been substituted when Issa Diop ploughed into Alvarez and was sent off before the Argentina striker took retribution by sending Leno the wrong way from the spot.