A staggering 13-year first helped Manchester City seal a vital point against a title rival, while Ange Postecoglou might have helped Tottenham finally shake off an unwanted tag.
Elsewhere, a major tactical gamble might have cost a dark horse dearly while Kai Havertz’s chant continues to become more ironic with every passing game.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at the weekend that was in the latest edition of Premier League Talking Points!
Erling Haaland is on track for another Premier League golden boot but was all-but-invisible for City against Liverpool. The star striker was exceptionally shut down by Virgil van Dijk and managed just 21 touches – fewer in his 90 minutes than Mohamed Salah managed in half an hour off the bench for Liverpool.
But City’s goal came from a rare source: a set piece, their first dead-ball goal at Anfield since 2011.
Kevin de Bruyne took a quick corner to the front post, where Nathan Ake had pushed away a defender to create a gap for defensive midfielder John Stones to calmly finish.
It was a move straight off the training ground.
“That looked like genius from Kevin De Bruyne,” Sky Sports’ Gary Neville said. “How has he spotted that run from John Stones? It is something they have worked on; things like that don’t just happen. What a man to execute it.”
“There are not many players in the world who could do what he’s done with that pass,” Roy Keane added.
“To deliver that and get that accuracy and speed, brilliant. They’d worked on the movement, a little bit of blocking, but the delivery was absolutely fantastic.”
Stones’ goal meant Manchester City scored its first goal from a dead-ball situation at Anfield since 2011. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Stones credited City’s first-team assistant coach and set-piece specialist Carlos Vicens for the goal, telling Sky Sports afterwards: “We’ve worked hard on it all week. We spotted something yesterday, worked on it, and it came off.”
After the goal, City coach Pep Guardiola pointed straight at Vicens in his celebrations – not for the first time this season. Guardiola ran to hug Vicens after a stunning set-piece goal against Burnley last month. De Bruyne shaped up to whip in a cross – even putting his arms in the air to signal the ball was coming aerially – before sliding through a 20-metre through ball that stunned the defence and gifted Julian Alvarez an easy chance.
Vicens coached City’s under-18s before being promoted to first-team assistant in 2021. That season, City broke the Premier League record for the best set piece goals differential – scoring 21 times while conceding just one.
This season, City have again conceded the fewest set-piece goals, just two, though Arsenal lead the league with 18 goals scored from set pieces.
So highly respected is Vicens that in 2022 he was lined up to take the head coaching role at Heracles Almelo in the Netherlands, before backflipping and remaining at City.
He earned City a point at Anfield, and Vicens could well prove a key factor as the title race goes down to the wire.
Stones acknowledged the key role of City’s set-piece coach in scoring against Liverpool. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
VAN DIJK IS A COLOSSUS KEEPING REDS IN TITLE HUNT
Liverpool fans would have been nervous when they saw the team sheet for the clash with Manchester City. Cruelled by injuries, the Reds named just one of their best back-five: Virgil van Dijk. He was partnered with Jarell Quansah (21 years old) in the heart of defence, with Conor Bradley (20) on the right and right-footed centre-back Joe Gomez filling in at left back. Behind him was back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Against a deadly attack like Manchester City’s, the Reds faced a tough test. But van Dijk was absolutely magnificent. He kept Erling Haaland to just one shot – well below his season average of more than four per game. Van Dijk was top or equal first in tackles (4), interceptions (4), and last-man tackles (2), and his passing was typically excellent, completing 77 of 79 attempts for a game-high completion rate.
He hasn’t lost an aerial duel since January, and he has now lost just once in 94 matches at Anfield.
Van Dijk has won every single aerial duel in the Premier League since January.Source: AFP
The highlight of the match was when Haaland sized up van Dijk and ran straight at him: a battle between arguably the world’s best attacker and defender.
Van Dijk – without a teammate within cooee – corralled the deadly striker perfectly and the result was a tame shot.
His composure in defence and with the ball at his feet, combined with his vocal marshalling of his young teammates, was crucial in Liverpool’s success.
While the Reds have been decimated by injuries, van Dijk has been a picture of consistency – no player has started more of Liverpool’s league games than Van Dijk’s 26.
The Reds have overcome all of those injuries to remain firmly in the title race. Without van Dijk, they’d be nowhere near.
Van Dijk was the man of the match with a sublime performance.Source: AFP
ANGE’S TROOPS SHAKE OFF ‘SPURSY’ TAG AS RIVALS’ BOLD TACTICS BACKFIRE
When Tottenham and Aston Villa last played in the Premier League, it was the latter who struggled to deal with Ange Postecoglou’s inverted wing back system.
However, Villa boss Unai Emery proved his tactical acumen by making a halftime change to deal with the system and it worked as the visitors emerged 2-1 victors at Tottenham’s home turf.
To combat Tottenham’s inverted wing backs from the outset, Emery boldly adopted a 3-5-2 formation which transformed to 5-3-2 when defending, as Matty Cash and Lucas Digne flanked a back three of Pau Torres, Clement Lenglet and Ezri Konsa.
It was the first time Villa had used that approach all season long and for the first 45 minutes it worked, even if it left Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey largely isolated in attack.
But it took just five minutes into the second half for Tottenham to break the deadlock courtesy of James Maddison before Brennan Johnson doubled the visitors’ advantage shortly after.
A John McGinn red card for Villa in the 65th minute left Emery’s side with an almighty mountain to climb and it proved to be an insurmountable task, as Tottenham added two more goals in stoppage time via Heung-Min Son and Timo Werner.
The back five was evidently a tactical gamble that significantly backfired, especially given the implications of the fixture.
Sizzling Spurs sink 4 past Villa | 01:05
As it stands, only the top four will progress into next season’s Champions League which is why Tottenham’s victory over Villa, who sit in fourth place, was so vital.
The 4-0 win kept Tottenham in fifth, but they are now just two points behind Villa and have a game in hand.
Additionally, the defeat marked Villa’s fourth defeat in five games across all competitions, a marked contrast from the 17-game unbeaten run that was ended by Newcastle only in late January.
On the contrary, perhaps this result proves Postecoglou has rid Tottenham of its ‘Spursy’ tag that has plagued the club for years.
In high-stakes games in previous years, Tottenham developed a reputation for faltering under the bright lights.
But against Villa, on their home turf no less, Tottenham were anything but ‘Spursy’.
Crucially, Postecoglou’s side have no other domestic or continental competitions to worry about outside of the Premier League while Villa are still in the Europa Conference League.
With a win over their biggest rival in terms of Champions League qualification, Postecoglou will hope the three points proves to be the torpedo of momentum the team needs, especially with a three-game run against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the not-too-distant future.
Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa gave them the advantage in the race for the top four. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
IRONY BEHIND GUNNERS STAR’S CHANT AS EPIC RUN CONTINUES
“60 million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again!”
The sight and sound of Arsenal fans belting out Havertz’s chant to the tune of Shakira’s Waka Waka has become a staple this season but none more so than in recent fixtures.
Havertz moved to Arsenal from Chelsea last summer, bringing an end to a three-year stint where he never really quite looked at home anywhere on the field.
It also took the German international some time to bed in at Arsenal but Havertz is now excelling and it’s coincided with a staggering run of form for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Brentford at the Emirates was their eighth in a row, a run in which they’ve scored 33 goals and conceded just four.
Of course, it’s been a collective effort on the goalscoring front, but Havertz’s goal against Brentford turned out to be the match winner.
Havertz has four goals in his last four games for Arsenal. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Havertz’s goal was also his fourth in as many matches, highlighting his growing importance to Arsenal as the title race continues to take twists and turns with every passing week.
Prior to this run of form, it took Havertz 23 games across all competitions to score four goals.
Havertz’s ability to play as a striker or in the midfield offers Arsenal with crucial versatility, allowing for plenty of dynamism in attack.
In fact, he began the contest against Brentford up top but dropped back into a midfield role when Gabriel Jesus was substituted on.
With Havertz consistently on the scoresheet and Arsenal racking up goals for fun — specifically an average of 4.13 goals per game over the last eight fixtures — could it be the tonic needed for the Gunners to go one better than last season?
Tottenham landed a crucial blow in the fight to finish in the Premier League’s top four with a 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa on Monday (AEDT).
Ange Postecoglou’s side arrived at Villa Park knowing defeat to their fourth placed rivals would have been potentially fatal to their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
But the north Londoners rose to the challenge with a second half goal spree in the rain-soaked west midlands.
James Maddison put Tottenham ahead and Brennan Johnson doubled their lead before Villa captain John McGinn was sent off for chopping down Destiny Udogie.
Son Heung-min and Timo Werner struck in stoppage-time to leave fifth placed Tottenham just two points behind Villa with a game in hand.
“We made it tough for Villa. They worked hard just to contain us. We got our rewards in the second half,” Postecoglou said.
“Everyone was billing this as a do-or-die for us. I assume we’re not dead yet. It means we’re one game closer, just 11 games to go.” Restoring Tottenham to Europe’s elite club competition in his first season in charge would be a significant achievement for Postecoglou and the target is now firmly in his control.
The Australian this week said reaching the Champions League would not be “a Willy Wonka golden ticket” for his club.
But the defeat left Villa feeling as sick as Augustus Gloop, the gluttonous boy who gets in trouble while visiting Wonka’s chocolate factory in Roald Dahl’s book.
Postecoglou applauds the travelling Spurs fans after a massive win over Aston Villa. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Villa are hoping to reach the Champions League for the first time since 1983, but this was a major setback to their unexpected bid for a top four finish.
“We weren’t clinical because they were defending very well and we didn’t control the game,” Villa boss Unai Emery said.
“We have to control our emotions. The first two goals were crazy. We have to move on.” Emery’s team claimed an early penalty when Ollie Watkins was sent flying by Micky van de Ven’s crunching challenge, but VAR rejected their appeals.
In a game played at a frantic pace, Villa were left frustrated when Matty Cash poked into the side-netting from Leon Bailey’s cross.
Lucas Digne nearly broke the deadlock just before half-time with a glancing header that looped wide from McGinn’s cross.
Tottenham lost Van de Ven to an injury immediately after the interval, but the visitors were unfazed as they snatched the lead in the 50th minute.
Pape Sarr beat the Villa offside trap and whipped in a teasing cross that Maddison adroitly volleyed past Martinez from five yards before celebrating with his dart-throwing routine in front of the Tottenham fans.
Villa were shell-shocked and there was worse to come for Emery’s men three minutes later.
Ezri Konsa took too long on the ball before playing a weak pass that was intercepted by Kulusevski.
Son pounced on the loose ball, drove towards the Villa area and slipped his pass to Johnson, who fired high into the net before emulating Maddison’s darts tribute.
Johnson’s goal meant Tottenham had equalled their club record streak of scoring in 27 successive league games since the start of a season.
Heung Min Son was on the scoresheet for Spurs. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
As a gloomy silence settled over Villa Park, McGinn’s frustration reached boiling point in the 65th minute.
Lunging into a reckless tackle on Udogie, the Villa captain was immediately shown a red card that he could have no complaints about.
With Villa in tatters, Son finished off Kulusevski’s cross with a first-time strike in stoppage-time.
Werner’s composed finish from Son’s pass in the final moments underscored Tottenham’s superiority.
At the London Stadium, Burnley blew a two-goal lead as Danny Ings’ last-gasp equaliser rescued a 2-2 draw for West Ham.
Vincent Kompany’s side climbed above Sheffield United to 19th place, but it was small consolation for squandering three points in their desperate fight for survival.
David Datro Fofana’s long-range strike and an own goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos put Burnley in control by half-time.
But Lucas Paqueta reduced the deficit immediately after the interval and former Burnley striker Ings levelled in the closing minutes.
Burnley are 10 points from safety with 10 games left.
Fourth bottom Nottingham Forest failed to pull away from relegation danger as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Brighton.
Andrew Omobamidele’s first-half own goal ended Brighton’s three-match winless league run to lift them to eighth place.
Arsenal remained top of the Premier League after a titanic tussle between Liverpool and Manchester City ended 1-1 at Anfield on Monday (AEDT).
Alexis Mac Allister’s penalty cancelled out John Stones’ opener to leave Liverpool behind the Gunners on goal difference and City one point back in third with 10 games to go.
The final Premier League clash between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola did not disappoint as Liverpool roared back in a breathless second half despite being depleted by injury.
Klopp’s men could have regrets if they do not go on to break City’s run of three consecutive titles as they missed a plethora of chances to secure a crucial win.
City have still not won at Anfield in front of a crowd since 2003, but could also have snatched victory late on when Jeremy Doku hit the post.
A share of the spoils leaves Arsenal as the winners of the weekend as eight consecutive league victories have taken the Gunners top, but they travel to City in their next league match on March 31.
Mohamed Salah was only fit enough for a place on the Liverpool bench alongside Andy Robertson, while Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Diogo Jota were absent through injury.
A makeshift Liverpool defence were put to the test early on as Kevin De Bruyne found pockets of space to exploit.
His attempt at an audacious chip of Caoimhin Kelleher drifted just wide before the Irish goalkeeper parried a driven De Bruyne shot from long range.
John Stones scored the opening goal. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Without Salah and Jota the pressure was on Darwin Nunez to deliver up front for Liverpool.
But the Uruguayan kept drifting offside in the first 45 minutes. Luis Diaz did have the ball in the net for the hosts, but the goal was ruled out as Nunez had strayed in the build-up.
For a much-anticipated clash between two of the world’s best teams, both goals came from simple defensive errors.
Liverpool were caught napping from a De Bruyne corner and Stones’ effort had too much power for Kelleher.
Klopp’s men recovered impressively to end the first half the stronger side. Dominik Szoboszlai headed a good chance over and Diaz blasted inches wide from the edge of the area.
But Liverpool had to wait just seconds into the second period their equaliser and it came gift-wrapped from the visitors.
Nunez pounced on Nathan Ake’s short backpass and was cleaned out by Ederson. Mac Allister was cool despite a long delay for Ederson to get treatment, that eventually forced him to be replaced by Stefan Ortega, and fired his penalty into the top corner.
Alexis Mac Allister equalised for Liverpool from the spot. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
With confidence restored, Liverpool then poured forward as City were left clinging on.
Salah and Robertson were introduced on the hour mark and the Egyptian nearly had an instant impact.
Diaz sliced wide a glorious chance wide when played clean through by Salah’s pass.
Kyle Walker’s last-ditch intervention denied Diaz once more before Salah flashed a shot wide.
Ortega then had to be quick off his line to smother a shot from Nunez. Guardiola responded by sacrificing Julian Alvarez and Kevin De Bruyne, much to the chagrin of the Belgian who made his feelings known to his manager.
However, the introduction of Mateo Kovacic and Jeremy Doku steadied the City ship and could have even gone on to snatch it.
Erling Haaland was kept exceptionally quiet by Virgil van Dijk, but he picked out Doku who fired off the inside of the post in the final minute of the 90.
Doku was fortunate not to give away a penalty deep in second half stoppage time for this challenge on Mac Allister. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Liverpool were screaming for a second penalty deep into eight minutes of added time when Doku’s high foot caught Mac Allister.
But neither referee Michael Oliver or VAR were interested to leave the title race tantalisingly poised.
It was a decision that left Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp flabbergasted.
“This situation, in all positions on the pitch, is 100 per cent a foul. It’s 100 per cent a foul and a yellow card,” Klopp told Sky Sports.
“Because he [Doku] hit the ball, yes. But he could only hit the ball because his foot is right there [high up]. And yes, he hit the ball. But if the ball is not there, he kills him [Mac Allister]. That’s how it is, it’s as easy as that.
“It’s a penalty for all football people. It’s a penalty for football people, if you think it’s not one then maybe you’re not a football fan.”
Manchester United great Gary Neville agreed, describing Doku as “a very, very lucky boy” and felt the Belgian “was in trouble.”
Manchester City beat FC Copenhagen 3-1 in their first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 to close in on a place in the quarter finals, while a sizzling Brahim Diaz strike handed Real Madrid a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig.
Kevin de Bruyne scored and then set up a second City goal in the first half, either side of a howler from goalkeeper Ederson which led to a screamer from a Copenhagen debutant.
City were dominant for large parts of the match, and sealed the win when Phil Foden turned in a De Bruyne cut-back in stoppage time.
The English champions have now won 11 consecutive games in all competitions as they remain on course to repeat last season’s treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
De Bruyne . (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Man City took just ten minutes to get off the mark when De Bruyne was teed up by Foden on the right and slotted a fine low shot into the opposite corner from a tight angle.
City racked up chances against the minnows, who fought gamely and struck against the run of play when City goalkeeper Ederson made a shocking decision in the 34th minute.
Ederson, under pressure, passed straight to Mohamed Elyounoussi. His shot was blocked, but it fell to Magnus Mattsson who curled home a brilliant shot from the edge of the box.
“It’s really a horrible, horrible ball,” Craig Foster said on Stan Sport of Ederson’s mistake.
Remarkably, Mattsson was making his debut for Copenhagen 13 days after signing for the club.
And in a staggering statistic, it was the 13th time this season across all competitions that City had conceded with their first shot on target of the match.
Ederson made a howler and was punished by a superb strike.Source: AFP
Copenhagen desperately tried to hold out City’s attack until halftime, only for the visitors to score in the 45th minute through a sensational Bernardo Silva shot.
De Bruyne battled hard for the ball in the box, and it was deflected heavily for Silva to react quickest and poke it past the keeper.
Copenhagen hadn’t played a competitive game in 63 days, since beating Galatasaray to reach the knockout stages in December, with their domestic league on a winter break.
Keeping them fit is Australia’s Andrew Clark, a renowned sports scientist who left the Socceroos and Australia’s other national teams in mid-2022 to take over first team duties at Copenhagen.
City had a fitness issue of their own, with Jack Grealish – making just his second start of the year – was forced off the field early in the match and replaced by Jeremy Doku.
Copenhagen changed to a five-defender formation in the second half and attempted to hit on the counter-attack, but couldn’t find a way back into the game.
And Phil Foden finally ended the reistance when he scored his 15th of the season, once again set up by De Bruyne.
STUNNING STRIKE AS MADRID SCRATCH WIN
Brahim Diaz scored an incredible solo goal as Real Madrid won 1-0 away at RB Leipzig in Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg.
Leipzig were energetic but wasteful early, frequently undoing their good work with poor decision-making in the final third.
The hosts were made to pay early in the second half when Diaz opened the scoring.
Drafted into the side in place of the injured Jude Bellingham, Diaz danced past five Leipzig defenders before curling an inch-perfect shot inside the far post.
The win was Real Madrid’s seventh in seven games this Champions League campaign and puts them in prime position to make it past the last 16 for the fourth straight season.
Real travelled to Saxony without England midfielder Bellingham, who injured his ankle in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Girona.
With first-choice centre-backs Antonio Ruediger, David Alaba and Eder Militao ruled out, coach Carlo Ancelotti opted to continue midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni’s stint in central defence.
Despite their injury woes, Real sit five clear in the league and have only lost twice this season in all competitions, both times to derby rivals Atletico Madrid.
Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid celebrates his incredible goal.Source: Getty Images
Hosts Leipzig thundered out of the blocks and had the ball in the net three minutes in, but the goal was controversially ruled out for offside, with Benjamin Henrichs deemed to be obstructing the goalkeeper.
Collecting the ball near the sideline just three minutes into the second half, Diaz was fouled but refused to go to ground, dribbling through the Leipzig defence before unleashing a curling shot past Gulacsi to score.
The goal cranked the home side into gear, with Barcelona youth product Dani Olmo going close to equalising, twice stinging the palms of Madrid ‘keeper Andriy Lunin.
Madrid should have had another with 20 minutes remaining after going on the counter, but Vinicius hit the post.
Eddie Howe called for tighter security in Premier League stadiums after the Newcastle manager was confronted by an angry Leeds fan during a 2-2 draw at Elland Road.
The Leeds supporter climbed out of the stands and entered the technical area to confront Howe before being whisked away by stewards.
Leeds later said the man had been arrested and banned for life by the club. But Howe said the incident showed there is work to do to ensure managers and players can be guaranteed their safety in hostile environments.
Leeds are battling to avoid relegation, while Newcastle are embroiled in the fight for a top-four finish.
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“I actually can’t remember whether he pushed me or not, I’ve got no idea, it’s such a strange thing because you’re concentrating on the game and you don’t expect it to happen,” Howe said.
“He confronted me, said something that I can’t repeat and was then led away. “
I’m OK, moments like that do make you think… the safety of staff and players is paramount for me at any matches in the Premier League and Football League. We need to be mindful, security is so important.
“I don’t know if I had time to be fearful because it was over in a flash but it certainly makes you think ‘What if’… it was personal to me… and I think it is moments like this that should make people look and analyse how we can improve safety for staff and players.
“… Nobody should have to feel their personal safety is violated when trying to entertain the country.
“I didn’t have time to be fearful, it was over in a flash. But it made me think about things after.”
Manchester City are closing in on a fifth Premier League title in the last six seasons. With four games to play, City leads Arsenal by a point with a game in hand.
Unbeaten in 13 league games now – with 12 wins in that run – Pep Guardiola’s men are firm favourites to see off what has been an impressive title challenge from Mikel Arteta’s young Arsenal team.
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Another league crown would cement this City team as one of the most dominant dynasties in Premier League history.
Since Pep Guardiola’s arrival to the blue half of Manchester in 2016, the Catalan coach has claimed four league crowns and the same number of Carabao Cups, plus an FA Cup and two FA Community Shields.
That’s 11 trophies in seven seasons. For all their success, however, City has still failed in their ultimate goal – to assert their dominance as the best club in Europe by claiming the UEFA Champions League.
On Wednesday morning (5am AEST), they face Real Madrid in the first leg of the semi-finals, a rematch of last year’s final four match-up.
With City already into the FA Cup final, where they will face Manchester United on June 4 (AEST), Guardiola’s side is closing in becoming just the second side in Premier League history to claim that treble after United in 1999.
It would be the crowning achievement in a supremely successful era – and would silence one of the club’s most dogged and long-running criticisms, that for all their domestic success they have failed to deliver in Europe.
But another criticism won’t be silenced so easily: that City, owned by ultra-rich Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi’s royal family since 2008, has breached financial rules – or flat-out committed fraud – to spend their way to victory.
Here’s why City are perfectly placed to finally answer the first critique – and why the second won’t be answered for months, if not years.
YEARS OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FAILURE AND THE PEP CURSE
For all the silverware they’ve amassed and the records they’ve demolished at the domestic level, Pep Guardiola’s Champions League record in charge of City has been perpetually underwhelming.
In Guardiola’s first season in Manchester, City was ousted in the last 16 by Monaco. The following three seasons they failed to get beyond the quarter finals. In 2021, the club’s great continental dream finally seemed to be in reach when they reached the final – only to lose to Chelsea.
And last year, they reached the semi-finals and were arguably the better team in two legs against Real Madrid, only to somehow fall to defeat 6-5 on aggregate. Guardiola’s side led 5-3 on aggregate heading into the final minute of regulation time before conceding twice to Rodrygo in quick succession, before Karim Benzema struck a penalty in extra time.
It was another ugly chapter in a long line of Champions League collapses under Guardiola – and one that stretched back to the coach’s time at Bayern Munich and even to Barcelona, where he twice won the much-coveted trophy.
Is Guardiola cursed?
11 times he has been knocked out of the Champions League. In eight of those exits, his team has conceded multiple goals in quick succession – a truly damning statistic.
City was dumped out in 2017 after two Monaco goals in eight minutes. They copped three in 19 minutes from Liverpool the year later. It was two in three minutes at the hands of Spurs in 2019, and two in eight minutes from Lyon in 2020. But last year was worst of all – three Madrid goals in six minutes as Manchester collapsed in staggering style.
Manchester City fell at the final hurdle in the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In big European games, City panic time and time again. In the dying stages against Madrid last year, the English heavyweights resorted to desperately pumping long balls forward.
It was the very antithesis of everything Guardiola has created at City – cool and calm, relentless in their pursuit of perfection, and dedicated completely to their brand of total football.
While the players have lost their heads across the years, so too has their great mastermind Guardiola. All too often, Guardiola has tinkered with his selections, his tactics and formations in the big games, overthinking the threat posed by his rivals rather than trusting in the systems he has spent years refining to ever-greater levels.
Whether the players or the manager are more to blame for their repeated Champions League failures is up for debate.
But it is clear that both are equally motivated to end that streak.
For Guardiola, it would be a first continental triumph since 2010-11 and a third overall, taking him alongside legends Alex Ferguson, Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley with three total Champions League or European Cup wins.
Only Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has more, having already won two Champions League trophies with Real Madrid (2013-14 and 2021-22) and two with AC Milan (2002-03 and 2006-07).
Ancelotti and Guardiola are polar opposites, in many ways, though they both stand among the greatest coaches of the modern age.
Guardiola and Ancelotti have shared several battles over the years. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Where Guardiola is a great visionary, a football purist dedicated to his game-changing evolution of juego de posición or ‘positional play’, Ancelotti is a pragmatist, able to adapt to the players and tools at his disposal.
Nine years ago, the managers met for the first time. Pep Guardiola was at Bayern Munich, where he took over a team that had won a continental treble the season prior. He guided them to a league title with seven games remaining – the earliest the Bundesliga had ever been sealed – before meeting Ancelotti’s Madrid in the semi-finals.
Then came what Guardiola called in his book the “biggest f***-up” of his career.
Munich had 80 per cent of possession in the first half of the first leg in Madrid, showing their trademark possession–based approach. They dominated for large periods of the game, but Ancelotti’s Madrid scored in simple style – Karim Benzema banging in off simple squaring ball after a counter-attack. That match finished 1-0.
Ahead of the return leg, Munich’s home ground where Madrid had never won in 10 attempts, the great overthinker Guardiola made his greatest mistake.
He had planned to play a 3-4-3 formation. But his team hadn’t played as a back three in months, so Guardiola decided instead to stick to a back four. After a stunning 5-2 league win, Guardiola made an 11th-hour switch to replace his intended 4-2-3-1 with a highly-aggressive 4-2-4.
Ancelotti famously got the better of Guardiola in an all-time rout back in 2014. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It backfired in a staggering rout. Madrid scored three in 35 minutes, and finished 4-0 victors.
Guardiola was brutally criticised in the German media. He had abandoned his principles and paid the price. But even then, few would believe he would go so long without another Champions League crown.
The criticism that followed that day have echoed down the years, with every failed tactical tinkering or counterintuitive selection.
“With Pep Guardiola I have the feeling that he always wants to do something special in big games,” former Bayern Munich and Germany defender Lothar Matthaus told Sport Bild in 2020. “Barcelona had a DNA, a system he pulled through. Pep was successful there. With Bayern and City, he tried it over and over again with changes and failed again and again.
“He always wanted to show that he could do even better. I would like to tell him: Pep, you are a giant trainer – but please keep your system!
“I would describe it as egocentric. Yes, that’s a harsh word, but it is due to what he did.”
Perhaps there is reason to believe this time will be different to that 2014 semi-final failure, or last season’s semi-final when Ancelotti’s Madrid again got the wood over Guardiola.
The big difference has been the arrival of Erling Haaland.
Suddenly, Guardiola’s preference last season for a false nine, often deploying a midfielder in that position, was abandoned.
Erling Haaland has been in sensational goalscoring form this season. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Haaland is a genuine number nine, and he’s fundamentally changed City’s attack. His hold-up play allows City to play directly and escape pressure in their own half. His pace and perfectly-timed runs behind the defence stretch the lines and create space for the likes of midfield maestros Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan to exploit. And, perhaps more than anything else, his goals have changed City’s attack. All 51 of them so far, including a Premier League record 35.
Haaland has simplified City’s attack, precisely because his simplicity and efficiency – it is the same run time and again, with the same almost-inevitable outcome – is the perfect foil for City’s boundless creativity under Guardiola.
The pure number nine has tempered the visionary stylings of Guardiola. It might just be the answer to Ancelotti’s pragmatic brilliance – and the cure to City’s Champions League curse.
‘FINANCIAL DOPING’ AND QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED
It is remarkable to think that Erling Haaland cost City just €60 million after they activated his Borussia Dortmund release clause and beat out a host of rival European giants for his signature.
Compare that to the other big-money attacking signings this season: Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk for £89m, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez (£64m rising to £85m), Spurs’ Richarlison (£60m), or Manchester United’s Antony (£85m).
Mudryk has no league goals this season in 13 appearances. Nunez has nine in 29. Antony – a winger rather than a number nine – has five goal involvements in 22 matches. Richarlison has 1 goal in 24.
Haaland has more than that lot combined, proof that his transfer fee wasn’t even close to his true value. But that is the case with many of City’s signings down the years – and a big reason why one of the great criticisms levelled against them is not true.
Rival fans have claimed that, ever since City was bought by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi’s royal family in 2008, the club has spent its way to victory. In the early days, there was no shortage of big-money transfers as they outspent their rivals.
But as rival clubs have also received cash injections from ultra-rich owners, City’s transfer spending has been far from the biggest.
Sheikh Mansour has overseen an extraordinary amount of spending since taking ownership of the club in 2008. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Since Guardiola took charge in 2016, City has spent £1.074bn. That’s less than Manchester United, who have spent £1.077 billion. But when it comes to net transfer spending, the difference is staggering.
City’s net spend is £478million, while United’s net spend over the last seven years is a whopping £835m. That’s because City have turned players into superstars – often doubling their transfer value – before cashing in.
This season, that included Raheem Sterling for around £51 million, and Gabriel Jesus for £47m – and both went to direct rivals!
In the last five seasons, City’s spend has been significantly behind some of their Premier League rivals. According to Football 365, they were 10th in net spend over the last five seasons, with a net spend of £224.97m. Chelsea, after their staggering spending spree this season, have the highest net spend in that time – £654.21m.
Manchester United’s net spend of £540.23m is second, ahead of the likes of top six heavyweights Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. Even Aston Villa, Wolves, Newcastle and West Ham have bigger net spends in the last five years.
Manchester City’s net spend debunks one of football’s biggest myths. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It is obvious that City spent plenty of money to build their squad, but their recent transfer spending is certainly no higher than their rivals. Nor is their wage bill, this season at least. According to FBref, their wage bill is just the third-highest behind Man United and Chelsea – and by some distance.
Pep Guardiola said in 2020 that his club needed to invest in order to win the league – but said that plenty of other teams were spending too.
“Listen – a lot of clubs invested. (Manchester) United, Arsenal – in periods before winning the leagues – invested more money than the other ones. When Chelsea started to win Premier Leagues, they invested more money than the other ones,” Guardiola said.
“I’m a good manager but I don’t win titles if I don’t have good players and good players are expensive. All the clubs spend a lot of money: Barcelona spend a lot of money, Madrid spend a lot of money, English teams spend a lot of money.
“If we build the club, in terms of the last decade, to compete with the elite of the Premier League or Champions League, we need to invest.”
But there is more to the picture than transfers and wages. City’s boundless financial reserves last week saw them add a 12th affiliate club to the City Football Group, this time Brazilian club Baha. This has allowed them to either develop players and funnel them to the Premier League or use their attack-minded affiliate clubs as perfect loan destinations for promising youngsters to develop in the City tactical style.
Guardiola knows City must continue to invest in the playing squad to keep challenging for trophies. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But not everyone is happy with the multi-club system. This weekend, City’s Belgian club Lommel SK was accused of receiving ‘foreign subsidies’ – reportedly around £15m in investment from City’s owners – since their takeover in 2020. The allegations came from a rival Belgium club, Royal Excelsior Virton, who labelled Lommel a “State Club” benefiting from “financial doping” and have taken them to court.
It’s not the first time that City Football Group has been the subject of claims over their finances – both from rival fans and from lawyers.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, in 2020 banned Manchester City from the Champions League for two years and hit them with a €30m fine for ‘serious breaches’ of Financial Fair Play. City were found to have lied about sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016, overinflating the amount they were receiving in order to ensure that their club spending was within those FFP limits.
City, furthermore, failed to co-operate with the investigation.
But City took the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and succeeded – partially because UEFA rules put a five-year limit on matters that can be investigated. CAS found that an alleged payment that would constitute a serious breach happened before this time. The alleged breach in this case was that City’s owner used his own personal company Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) to pay a whopping £30m on behalf of their sponsor Etisalat in 2012 and 2013. This was put down as a ‘sponsorship’ payment, rather than investment from the owner.
City face an uncertain future due to their finances. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In fact, UEFA claimed that Etisalat had not even concluded a contract with City until 2015. City’s defence was that Etisalat reimbursed ADUG that amount in 2015, and the earlier amounts had been invoiced to Etisalat (not ADUG) – despite no formal deal being in place.
Another major claim of FFP breaches came from a series of leaked internal City emails, published by German news outlet Der Spiegel in 2018. The club’s financial officers of the time wrote that Etihad – the Abu Dhabi airline being the club’s top sponsor – was in fact only paying £8m of sponsorships worth £35m (2012-13), £65m (2013-14) and £67.5m (2015-16) seasons.
The rest was coming from ADUG. Again, City’s owner was allegedly paying ‘sponsorship’ money from his own company to inflate the club’s finances – and get around Financial Fair Play rules.
City refused to co-operate with the UEFA investigation and share any more evidence around the matter, however. Their appeal succeeded at CAS – but didn’t stop the rumblings from rival fans and clubs.
When the news was announced, Guardiola doubled down on his repeated claims of City’s innocence. He said in 2020 after the CAS verdict: “We can spend as much money as our chairman or our owners want, but always, always in the Financial Fair Play rules and we showed it. We were exonerated for something we were accused of all the time.
“I don’t want to apologise for anything. I’m sorry guys. Manchester City don’t have (to) apologise because three independent judges decided we have done everything properly. It’s clear – more than clear.”
Everton thrash Brighton in important win | 01:16
This year, however, everything changed. The Premier League, having investigated the club for four years, charged City with over 100 breaches of its own Financial Fair Play rules.
The Premier League’s case was almost a mirror image of the UEFA legal actions – alleging City lied about their financial position and sponsorship deals, and then refused to co-operate with the Premier League investigation. It was also alleged that City was secretly paying managers more than they were reporting.
But the alleged breaches stretched from 2009 all the way to 2018 – a period in which they won three league titles, including under Guardiola. And, unlike UEFA and the CAS verdict, the Premier League case is not ‘time-barred’. There is no statute of limitations on this case.
But it’s not just about Financial Fair Play, and whether City should have been spending so much money on their stadium, their squad, their wages, and so on.
As UEFA’s former chief investigator Yves Leterme in February told the Belgian broadcaster Sporza, he is “convinced fraud has been committed by Manchester City”.
The consequences could be massive. City could be handed a points deduction (for the current season when the decision is made). They could be banned from signing players – and the reputational damage could cost them plenty of sponsors. They could be forced to pay fines or compensation. Then come the bigger potential punishments. Relegation is possible. Titles may be stripped, though this appears unlikely. And the club could even be expelled from the Premier League, an extreme and highly unlikely punishment.
The process is still ongoing – after a four-year investigation, it is expected that the private hearings before an independent commission could take another year. We won’t hear anything until the verdict is handed down – and even then, either side can still appeal.
Keeper howler haunts Man Utd! | 00:48
So what if City win the treble, becoming just the second team in English history to do so (Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 1999)?
They can finally deliver the club and its cashed-up owners the trophy they desire most, and etch their names into the history books.
They can answer all the questions about Guardiola’s tinkering and overthinking, and the Catalan coach can get revenge for his “biggest f***-up.”
But until the allegations of fraud and FFP breaches are decisively proven one way or another, a dark cloud will hang over one of the greatest dynasties in English football history.
Sunderland secured their place in English football’s Championship play-offs with a 3-0 win away to Preston on Monday but only after Millwall suffered an extraordinary loss at home to Blackburn Rovers.
The final day of the regular second-tier season kicked off with Millwall knowing a win would guarantee their place in the play-offs that decide the last available spot on offer in next term’s lucrative Premier League.
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Burnley, the champions, and second-placed Sheffield United were already assured of automatic promotion.
But the identity of the clubs finishing fifth and sixth — the teams that would join third-placed Luton and fourth-placed Middlesbrough in the play-offs — had still to be decided.
All seemed set fair for south London club Millwall when they led 3-1 at the interval following two goals from Duncan Watmore and one from Oliver Burke.
But with Joe Rankin-Costello having reduced the deficit, Ben Brereton Diaz’s second-half double inspired a Rovers revival as they won 4-3 at the New Den.
“As soon as their (Blackburn’s) second (goal) went in, you could see the nerves appear in the team,” said Millwall manager Gary Rowett.
Millwall lost at home to Blackburn Rovers at home on the final day. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“We got ourselves into a brilliant position but you have to handle these big moments, you have to do the right things and show control and calmness. That was something we needed to do better.”
He added: “In some ways, I’d have taken losing 1-0 more easily than losing 4-3 from 3-1 up as it feels like we’ve let it slip through our fingers.” Sunderland’s win at Preston meant the northeast side took sixth place, with Blackburn leapfrogging Millwall only to be denied a play-off position of their own on goal difference.
“I felt as though we could come here and control the game,” said Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray.
He added: “We didn’t have harsh words at half-time, but we discussed that we needed to control the game better. We became more confident and, off the back of the first goal, we controlled things. It was a solid performance.”
Sunderland qualified for the play-offs thanks to a win over Preston North End on the final day. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Coventry, meanwhile, claimed a final day point to finish fifth and secure a play-off berth following a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough — who they will now meet in a two-legged semi-final.
Gustavo Hamer put the Sky Blues ahead before Cameron Archer equalised in first-half stoppage time.
West Brom, the other team that started the day with a chance to finish in the top six suffered a 3-2 defeat at Swansea, for whom Joel Piroe scored a stoppage-time winner.
Luton drew 0-0 at home to Hull and will now face Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals.
Burnley won 3-0 at home to Cardiff, with Josh Brownhill, Ashley Barnes and Scott Twine all scoring at Turf Moor as Vincent Kompany’s team finished with 101 points, while Sheffield United won 2-1 at Birmingham.
Of the three relegated sides, Blackpool won 1-0 at Norwich thanks to Morgan Rogers’s early goal and basement club Wigan drew 0-0 at home to Rotherham.
Meanwhile, Reading lost 2-0 at Huddersfield, who had already secured their Championship status with a game to spare.
Everton moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with a stunning 5-1 win at Brighton on Monday, while Leicester’s hopes of survival are hanging by a thread after a 5-3 defeat at Fulham.
Brighton are in the hunt to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history, but a heavy schedule looked to have taken its toll on Roberto De Zerbi’s men as they were torn apart by an Everton side that had not won away since October.
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The Toffees had the dream start as Abdoulaye Doucoure opened the scoring after just 34 seconds.
Doucoure’s brilliant volley from Dwight McNeil’s cross doubled Everton’s lead before Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele deflected McNeil’s cross into his own net.
De Zerbi responded by making four halftime substitutions and Brighton peppered the Everton goal but were caught out on the counter-attack when McNeil showed great poise to round Steele to make it 4-0.
Alexis Mac Allister finally pulled a goal back after Kaoru Mitoma’s initial effort came off the post.
But McNeil fittingly had the final say as he rounded off a brilliant performance in stoppage time by smashing into the top corner.
A first win in eight games lifts Sean Dyche’s men two points clear of the drop zone.
Brighton remain in seventh, two points behind Tottenham with two games in hand, but their outside shot at a top-four finish now appears gone.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Nathan Patterson of Everton celebrates victory after defeating Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton FC at American Express Community Stadium on May 08, 2023 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Leicester boss Dean Smith admitted his players might be struggling with the pressures of a relegation battle after a disastrous defensive display at Craven Cottage.
The Foxes, who won the Premier League in stunning fashion in 2016 and lifted the FA Cup two years ago, are staring relegation in the face.
Leicester remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference for now but could end the day in the bottom three should Nottingham Forest avoid defeat at home to Southampton.
Smith’s men also face a tough run-in with Champions League-chasing Liverpool and Newcastle to come before ending the season at home to West Ham.
Only Leeds and Bournemouth have conceded more goals than Leicester in the Premier League and defensive deficiencies were again their undoing at Craven Cottage.
Goals from Willian, Carlos Vinicius and Tom Cairney put Fulham 3-0 up before halftime.
“The first-half is what killed us,” said Smith.
“You can’t give three-goal leads at this level and expect to come back.”
“Some of them are struggling mentally with the pressures, but that’s for me and the coaching staff to sort out and pick the right team.”
Cairney and Willian struck again either side of Harvey Barnes’ consolation to make it 5-1.
Jamie Vardy also saw Leicester’s first penalty of the game saved by Bernd Leno in an action-packed second-half before the visitors pulled two more goals back in the final 10 minutes.
James Maddison converted a second penalty before Barnes pounced to make it 5-3 after a calamitous defensive mix-up between Shane Duffy and Leno.
But it was too little, too late for Leicester who face an anxious wait to see where they will sit in the table before they are in action again in a week’s time against Liverpool.
