Kevin De Bruyne returned with Manchester City and continued the spectacular streak of the ‘citizen’ club that beat Arsenal 1-0 this Sunday and raised his streak of consecutive games won to 18.
Mikel Arteta’s resistance lasted two minutes. What it took Riyad Mahrez to face the right and get a measured and impossible cross for the defenders and for Bernd Leno. There appeared within the area Raheem Sterling, who rose before Rob Holding’s gaze and headed the first goal.
As if the confidence of Guardiola’s team was not enough after 17 consecutive victories, the advantage in the second minute of the game allowed them to play much more calmly. They didn’t even need a nine up. De Bruyne had returned to the team after several games out with a muscle injury and the Belgian is as if he had never left.
The depth that they could lose by not having a reference above was recovered in possession. It was a monologue from City, used to this kind of encounter in which the rival totally dispenses with the ball and there is no team in the world that is more comfortable with an advantage on the scoreboard.
Nor did Martin Odegaard appear with the ‘Gunners’, disguised with the figure of 10.
The Norwegian had just signed an exhibition in the Europa League against Benfica, but this City are bigger words. Guardiola’s team is reaching absolute perfection in the most important stage of the season.
He did not need to finish off Arsenal, although he tried. The victory was by the minimum, but at times it smelled like a thrashing. The Gunners resisted to receive more goals, but even if they only fell by one goal, their inferiority to the leader was very clear.
With ten points of advantage over the second classified, Leicester City, and thirteen days ahead, this Manchester City is predestined to collect the Liverpool crown and two years later to be champion again.
Arteta’s Arsenal still has a long maturation process ahead of them to aspire to what City has. Control, superiority and confidence.
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