Josko Gvardiol is the latest example of how the Catalan’s reinvention of his players has created a title-winning machine
oo good, too strong, and the inevitable draws ever closer. Their fans’ “we’re not really here” chant may be soaked in deepest Manc irony but it also reflects the economic miracle ofbeing the best team in England by far. After victory at Fulham the unknown is about to be breached.
Success earns respect if not necessarily affection. Each of those predecessors found a way to win that did not achieve universal admiration. Within living memory, Liverpool were derided for overuse of the back-pass to the point of tedium. United were loathed for being the personification of Ferguson’s cheerlessness. The Manchester City of 2024 are – beyond the ongoing legal issues that overshadow their glory – dismissed as too surgical, almost too perfect.
At first, ticking Craven Cottage off the list didn’t come easy. Holding your nerve in the last weeks of the season is part of the job and City have best-in-class expertise. After riding out Fulham’s early attacks, the home team full of end-of-season adventure, Kevin De Bruyne sent Josko Gvardiol clear to score.
That Kyle Walker came on as a replacement for an injured Nathan Aké was a further reminder of the cupboard full of talent available towhen he turns to his bench. Antonee Robinson’s previously dangerous overlapping bursts down Fulham’s left became a diminished force, while on City’s other defensive flank, Gvardiol ended up on five goals in seven matches. A player signed for defensive solidity has become a serious attacking threat.
At two goals up and cruising, though with an eye on Arsenal’s superior goal difference, Erling Haaland, as previously quiet as Foden had been, missed a sitter. Guardiola screamed blue murder to the skies, rubbing his cranium as if to soothe the pain. That Gvardiol’s reinvention continued with a poacher’s finish and Julián Álvarez’s late penalty allowed City to further bridge the goal gap was still not enough.
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