Rarely have Manchester City fans wished their long-standing rivals from Liverpool three points as much as they did on Thursday when they visited leaders Arsenal. That speaks volumes about the Skyblues’ situation after their 1-1 draw with Brighton.
Thomas Böker reports from Manchester
The ducks waddling across the Ashton Canal late on Wednesday evening probably didn’t know that they were literally walking on thin ice. The waterway that you walk along when you walk from the Etihad Stadium towards Manchester city center was frozen, but in some places small “water holes” shimmered through.
Be that as it may, if our feathered friend breaks through, he just swims on – and doesn’t drown. Manchester City’s professionals, on the other hand, are not so flexible. In the title race, they are virtually up to their necks in water after their third draw in a row: the 0-0 draw in Sunderland and the bitter last-minute 1-1 draw against Chelsea were followed by a disappointing hat trick – 1-1 against Brighton.
The draw was fortunate – for both sides
In the end, this points split was fortunate for both sides. What may seem paradoxical at first glance can be explained by the course of the game, which offered huge chances for both sides and left the hosts, despite their clear superiority, with the certainty that they will have to bury their hopes of winning the championship if they do not very quickly rediscover their old grip on their own penalty area and their coolness in the opponent’s.
Coach Pep Guardiola’s team squandered a string of excellent opportunities, but also defended so carelessly throughout the game that Pascal Groß’s courageous visitors also had enough chances to win the match.
Groß with a decent performance on his starting debut
The German midfielder, who recently returned to Brighton from Borussia Dortmund, was in the starting lineup this time after coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Burnley and played the full 90 minutes. He didn’t get many opportunities to do so at BVB this season, but he looked fit, was always involved in the build-up play and was accurate with his passing, as well as closing many gaps that City created with their wide eights in the half-spaces.
Guardiola also praised Fabian Hürzeler’s team’s build-up play (“incredibly good”), so the German, who is keen to return to the national team, could certainly feel addressed. Groß ultimately couldn’t do much in terms of attacking play, but he proved valuable as a conductor and driving force, playing well overall. The same can be said of City debutant Max Alleyne, who filled in at center back, made a few minor mistakes, but also had some promising moments.
Haaland’s 150th goal to take the lead
In the first half, Manchester City took the lead through Erling Haaland’s 150th competitive goal from the penalty spot, which was not coincidentally preceded by a foul on Jeremy Doku. The Belgian impressed in the first half with his unparalleled agility and smoothness. He was the one who kept City’s tempo high, but his well-known shortcomings of a lack of precision and determination in the penalty area prevented him from scoring more goals, and he also slowed down somewhat in the second half.
Haaland, meanwhile, worked hard, ran tirelessly, won balls that others couldn’t even get close to, and engaged in thrilling duels with Paul van Hecke. However, the Premier League’s top scorer also missed at least one big chance in the second half. And so City were very hurt by the equalizer from the ever-lively Kaoru Mitoma, which came out of nowhere at that point.
What’s special about January
So if Arsenal win at home against Liverpool on Thursday, and there are more reasons for than against that happening ahead of the match between the leaders and the champions, the Gunners could pull eight points clear. What’s special about January is that in this month, which is so packed with fixtures, not only in the Premier League but also in all cup competitions, no champion has been crowned yet. However, titles have been lost when the gap to the leaders became too big and could not be closed later on.
That is exactly what City are facing, and yet the Skyblues do not have to congratulate Mikel Arteta’s men on the championship just yet. Because there are still a whopping 51 points up for grabs. Arsenal still have to go to the Etihad Stadium. And City, who can start a winning streak at any time, will at least take the positive from their mini-slump that they have not lost any of their last three games. Then the game might actually be over. But one thing is also clear: if Arsenal doesn’t do what Arsenal does this season, i.e., maintain the stability it has impressively demonstrated so far, City can stretch and strain as much as it wants. Then the Gunners will be champions again for the first time since 2004. But we’re not there yet.
Guardiola’s reaction comes as no surprise
Anyone who expected Guardiola to be angry after the game was proven wrong: the coach demonstratively applauded each of his players on the pitch, even though the perfectionist certainly couldn’t have been happy with everything. But he wanted to show solidarity, as he so often does, out of defiance. He stood in front of his players, who had given their all, both in terms of play and running, but who are treading water without efficiency and have to row hard to avoid sinking. “I liked a lot of things,” he said after the game, but also pointed out that “in the past, we have always taken our chances in good moments.” That is not the case at the moment. “We have to accept that,” said the coach. He knows that the championship will be decided in April or May. A lot of water will flow through the Ashton Canal before then, even if it is currently under a frozen surface.
