Cut the petro dollar jealousy...this City side is a class act

THE RELENTLESS nature of Manchester City’s Treble assault has sparked the usual guff about how unfair it all is.

As Pep Guardiola’s men zero in on their date with destiny, there have been the usual moans and groans.

Ahead of title pretenders Arsenal being taught a lesson in midweek, there was a meme doing the rounds on social media.

“Here’s the Gunners scoring five at Manchester City,” posted one salty individual, “before they had Arab money.”

BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan – an individual for whom I have high regard – said after the Gunners were spanked: “It raises questions about competitive practices.”

While, yes, it’s true that Guardiola has secured a significant competitive advantage because of the petrodollars backing the club, let’s have it right.

This Manchester City team is proper. The cash available to land the likes of Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and the rest is being used as a convenient cop-out – to deflect from how good they are.

Guardiola and his club have been put under monstrous pressure from rivals – from Liverpool during the past few years and Arsenal this time – but are due to land their fifth title in six seasons.

Five in six. That’s exceptional. Could they win the Treble? Yes, I hope they do.

Not because it’s all about the money. It’s not. It’s about the fact they’re a bloody good team.

If it was, Chelsea would have raced up the Premier League table after new owner Todd Boehly had his trousers yanked down during the January transfer window.

Liverpool’s wage bill is £366million. Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford and, a couple of weeks later, had blown £160m on Antony and Casemiro. Of course, finance helps massively. It would be ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

But Manchester City are in danger of not receiving the credit they deserve because of, let’s face it, a dollop of jealousy and a fair amount of hypocrisy, too.

No one whined when Liverpool cherry-picked Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane from Southampton for a combined fee of almost £100m.

Is that because it’s different? Because Liverpool used their generic pulling power – muscle that’s been developed over the years due to the size of their fanbase and revenue generation to be able to afford the signings.

Should clubs such as Manchester

City not find another way, then?

If they are lucky enough to win themselves a benefactor does that make their achievement less worthy?

I don’t remember a similar undertone when Manchester

United – who had significant clout – were laying waste to the opposition. No, it was all a case of ‘the class of 92’.

Between 1992-2002, United won the title seven times and broke the British transfer record five times. If it was fair then, it’s fair now.

Give Manchester City the credit they deserve. If they win the Treble, they will have earned it.

So ditch the petty jealousy and recognise it for what it is – a fantastic achievement by a superb group of players and a wonderful manager who has changed the face of football, perhaps forever.