Man City win shows emphatic response to Pep Guardiola criticism

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That’s what Pep Guardiola wanted when he was so pissed off.

In January, after Manchester City were booed by some fans at half-time as they lost 2-0 to Tottenham, the manager covered his players in the face and then did so in the media. When asked why he was going public while saving the “Happy Flower Team,” he said he wanted a reaction.

Saturday’s victory over Leicester showed how emphatically everyone responded. Two goals in the first 13 minutes secured a 3-1 win to within three points of league-leading Arsenal, but it was all that contributed to the performance that was so impressive.

Also read: Man City player ratings vs Leicester as Grealish and Stones shine

It started, on a sunny evening that made Tuesday’s horrible rain even more ridiculous, with the fans. The home support had already chanted for John Stones when the centre-back threw a bouncing ball as if he was Erling Haaland to make even more noise in the stadium; the Norwegian addressed his teammate directly to show his appreciation for the strike.

Jack Grealish wanted a penalty soon after for a foul on the edge of the box and although nothing was given except a corner kick, Leicester’s failure to clear their lines allowed Grealish to send the ball back where Wilfred Ndidi pushed him away. The referee was once again impassive despite the many City players in his face, only for VAR to tell him to take another look at the monitor.

Before Darren England even had a chance to change his mind, Haaland grabbed the ball and Bernardo Silva drove to the penalty spot to prevent Leicester’s Victor Kristiansen from scuffing it. City’s No9 then netted his 46th goal of the season and Leicester’s game plan was in shambles after just 13 minutes.

Both goals had turned a potentially tough tie against an opponent sticking 11 men behind the ball into a one-night stand that served as the perfect away warm-up for Bayern Munich. In contrast, Thomas Tuchel said he was ‘absolutely unhappy’ with their performance in a 1-1 draw with Stuttgart as he missed a wasted chance to instil some confidence for the second leg of their quarter-final of the Champions League.

“Today we definitely took a step back,” he said. “It was actually time to take a step forward and gain confidence. We didn’t achieve any of that. It’s very surprising.”

Asked what positives they could take from the game with their performance in the Bundesliga, defender Matthijs de Ligt bluntly replied that it couldn’t get any worse. With Sadio Mane rendered unavailable for selection after hitting Leroy Sane in the Etihad dressing room, it doesn’t make for a happy camp in Bavaria.

Although City’s success against Leicester was down to their goals, it was the unity between players and fans that was so far from its season nadir in January when Guardiola was so publicly angered. Everyone worked together to put on a quality show.

After the first two-goal platform, and Leicester still refusing to show anything, City could do whatever they wanted. They got a third within 25 minutes when Haaland latched onto a ball from Kevin De Bruyne and finished well to equal Mo Salah’s record for most Premier League goals (32) in a 38 campaign matches.

Haaland didn’t have the chance to score again though, being pulled off with fellow goalscorer Stones at half-time, a further sign that this game was long over as a contest; Julian Alvarez and Manu Akanji came on, with Kalvin Phillips replacing Rodri shortly after. Nathan Ake and Ilkay Gundogan spent 90 minutes watching from the bench, while De Bruyne and Grealish were also taken out.

Unsurprisingly given the quality of the players taken off, City struggled to do much in the second half. Riyad Mahrez tested Daniel Iversen with a whip shot from the edge of the box, but that was about as close as they got to another goal. And when Kalvin Phillips hampered Ederson from a corner, it left former City striker Kelechi Iheanacho with a simple tap-in to add consolation.

City remained soft, with Guardiola watching the game on his knees as he looked uneasy in the final 15 minutes, urging his side to play higher up the pitch. If Bayern are looking for crumbs of solace after a discouraging week for them, they can try to see if there is anything on the wrong side of the game that can be exposed in Munich.

The result was never in doubt, however, and a 10th consecutive win in all competitions sets the Blues up not only for their two cup games next week, but also for their continued assault on the Premier League title. With eight league games to go, he remains in City’s hands although Arsenal can also say the same.

The difference to that January night which saw the manager ringing bells could hardly seem more stark. From a team that was down not just in confidence but in the basics demanded of them by the coaching staff, City have found a way back to being a team that can win whatever they want.

That’s what Bayern face on Wednesday night when they look to produce a miracle in the Champions League, and that’s what Arsenal realize now they face as they look to keep their composure in the Premier League title race. If the quality of this City squad isn’t daunting enough, the teamwork they are showing now has added another level.

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