Manchester City have never enjoyed a more dominant moment – or a more tantalising one. A third Premier League title in a row and fifth in six seasons? Check. It had been sealed when Arsenal lost at Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening – what happened on the pitch here felt incidental.
It was a party in sky blue, beginning inside the Etihad when the Chelsea players lined up to give the champions a prematch guard of honour and rolling all the way through to the pitch invasion from thousands of City supporters at full time. The lack of jeopardy or drama did not make the trophy-lift any less sweet for the captain, Ilkay Gündogan, or anyone connected to the club.
City could reflect on how they had reeled in Arsenal with time to spare, having been eight points behind them in mid-January and again at the start of April, albeit having played one game fewer at that stage. Arsenal have been unable to live with City’s strength in all areas, or their pulverising power.
City could bask in their three-peat – something only four top division clubs have previously achieved. But, really, it has come to feel all about what they do over the coming weeks in the finals of the FA Cup against Manchester United and the Champions League against Internazionale.
Kevin Kilbane: Hallgrímsson taking the first steps to making Ireland competitive again
Ange Postecoglou says some of the criticism he receives is offensive and disrespectful
Pep Guardiola rules out dropping Erling Haaland as Manchester City struggle for form
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
“If we are to be considered one of the best teams, we have to win the Champions League,” Pep Guardiola had said on the eve of this game. That the manager is prepared to say so seems to reflect his confidence. And why not? City will start against Inter as the overwhelming favourites for a litany of very good reasons. For them, history beckons.
City won here thanks to Julián Álvarez’s 12th-minute goal. Frank Lampard is one of only two visiting managers to have got a result at the Etihad this season – the 0-0 with his previous club, Everton; City’s other dropped game was the defeat against Brentford. But Lampard’s team were merely the foil for City’s parade. As an aside, Chelsea have now lost six in a row to City in all competitions after their victory over them in the 2021 Champions League final, failing to score in any of them.
City are getting used to these kind of occasions. Before the game, a six-piece band played on the approach to the stadium, City flags waving beside them, while a group of fans held a big speaker as they walked up, belting out music, singing their songs. There was a similar vibe in the drinking holes around the ground but, in general, it was pretty chilled, everyone simply enjoying the sunglasses weather.
The celebrations had begun the night before at the club’s training complex where some of the players watched the Forest game. They would pose for a giant team photograph with members of the support staff and, at that point, Chelsea’s visit was downgraded significantly, thoughts focusing on the keys to City’s season – and what was still to come.
Two off-the-field moments have come to feel pivotal. There was Guardiola’s unprecedented criticism of his players and the supporters after the win over Tottenham on January 19th, the “happy flowers” monologue when he attacked the collective feeling of comfort at the time. And the bombshell of the 100-plus Premier League charges for alleged financial rule breaches on February 6th.
The day before that, City had lost at Spurs to lag five points behind Arsenal, having played one game more. They then won 13 of 14 in the league leading up to this one, drawing the other at Forest, also motoring into the two cup finals. Have City been bonded by the external threat as much as by Guardiola’s internal motivational move?
The match unfolded against a backdrop of noise and triumphalism; a bit of Poznan bouncing, too. Guardiola rotated heavily, starting only Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji from the XI that he currently prefers and it was certainly some substitutes’ bench. Newsflash: the backups can play a bit, too.
City dominated the opening half-hour. Cole Palmer started brightly on the left wing and it was his pass that set up Álvarez for the breakthrough. Wesley Fofana had played a loose pass out of the Chelsea defence and City transitioned with trademark menace.
Guardiola’s team had other chances, Phil Foden chipping one of them inches wide after a lovely first touch on a high ball forward and it felt out of keeping with the overall tone when Chelsea almost equalised. Kai Havertz was denied one-on-one by Stefan Ortega in the 34th minute; then Conor Gallagher headed a Lewis Hall cross against the post.
Chelsea are set to finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1995-96 which, incidentally, was the season in which City were relegated after playing keep-ball by the corner flag in the dying moments of their final game; they had wrongly believed that a draw would keep them up. Those were the days when City would find new and novel ways to punish their fans. It is a different story now.
The second half meandered. Kalvin Phillips headed against a post. Raheem Sterling had an effort cleared off the line at the other end by the substitute, John Stones, although an offside flag had gone up against the Chelsea forward in the build-up. Álvarez had a goal pulled back by the VAR for a Riyad Mahrez handball and Erling Haaland, on to tremendous acclaim, dragged a decent chance wide. César Azpilicueta almost pinched a last-gasp equaliser. Now for United and Inter.
