After Pep Guardiola’s latest mea culpa – “It’s me who blames myself, not the players,” he said on Friday – Manchester City scored a second consecutive victory for the first time since the end of October, and a third consecutive undefeated outing.
According to the coach’s own logic, he takes credit for a victory enhanced by Savinho’s performance, including two assists, and capped by Erling Haaland’s second of the afternoon. The Brazilian received the ball in midfield and fed the Norwegian, whose slalom was as elegant as a chip on an onrushing Alphonse Areola.
The score was 3-0 in the 55th minute and the fourth goal soon arrived. A defensive horror show near the visitors’ goal allowed Kevin De Bruyne to take over, he clashed with Phil Foden and, at close range, Areola was beaten again, causing delight and relief for the champions , who had holes drilled into them every time. Lopetegui’s unit attacked.
After Foden’s goal, the gleeful home fans taunted the Spaniard with the standard that has been reserved for Guardiola recently: “You will be sacked tomorrow morning.” Harsh, perhaps, given the Hammers’ profligacy, but, after losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool, that’s how football works.
Guardiola will be delighted to win and less gleeful to see how the main reason for City’s recent slump – simplicity of playing – remains. When balls were contested in the middle third, a white shirt would often claim 50-50, and Crysencio Summerville or Mohammed Kudus would run down their wings to dismiss the champions. Kudus did this twice in the first half on the right, but he and Tomas Soucek missed their chances.
Guardiola spoke of luck in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Leicester and City had some luck here too, in the form of Vladimir Coufal’s opening own goal. Savinho came through a left channel and crossed, the ball came back to him and his second shot hit the right back, beating Areola.
Savinho was a whirlwind of action, closing down Areola, earning applause from Guardiola, continually tormenting Coufal, or materializing on the right, as he did from a corner alongside De Bruyne and Foden, to cause an overload .
Guardiola set up his men in a 4-1-4-1, which made it easy to solve their screening problem: removing Bernardo Silva or De Bruyne from their central berth to operate alongside Mateo Kovacic to prevent it, as well as the rear guard, from being invaded.
Errant ball guarding was also evident. A miscommunication between De Bruyne and Haaland ceded possession to Lucas Paquetá, who shot slightly wide, while City were comically wide open at times, as Niclas Füllkrug’s 71st-minute consolation illustrated.
Paquetá extended the play to the left, Soucek crossed and the center forward swept in. The goal left Guardiola angry – perhaps at substitute Kyle Walker – and there was even greater concern when Stefan Ortega needed treatment. But while Scott Carson, 39, was contemplating a very rare outing, the German goalkeeper recovered.
It was a story of missed chances earlier, particularly before the break. A Haaland kick rolled the ball to Silva, who drove onto Areola’s legs; then the Portuguese and Rico Lewis combined to send the No.9 thundering but he was thwarted by the rearguard. After a fire from Lewis caused Areola to fly right to push back, a chance was eventually converted.
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It was supreme attacking play from City: Foden lobbed the ball left to Savinho, who burst past his marker and swept in a cross that had Haaland leaping and heading towards his first goal. That made it two outings from two and the question now was whether City would kill the east London club or allow them back into the game.
Initially the answer was yes for the second part, as a Coufal tester warmed up Ortega’s fingertips, before City took over. Yet Summerville’s ghost towards the end – he slipped and fired over – showed, once again, how powdered Guardiola’s side are in defence.
Salford City are next in the FA Cup on Saturday, meaning a third straight win is surely theirs.
theguardian