Emergence
Football is in a continuous flux, Just as Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool threatened to become permanent top clubs, with the odd Leeds, Newcastle, Chelsea, in competition for fourth place, we had the Abramovich era which changed the landscape.
The La Liga has stagnated under the dominance of Real, Barca and Athletico, rendering most of the matches boring, whereas Bayern, PSG, Juventus, had similar effects in their respective leagues, EPL has seen disruption, thankfully so. Personally, I feel a sense of stagnation and complacency pushed Arsenal to commit resources for the stadium, an assumption that Arsenal is an established top four club. Chelsea broke that barrier, many deridingly say ‘money’, however money is everywhere. When Manchester United snapped a promising Rooney from Everton, money was there. Top clubs always raided the lower clubs for talent, resulting in loss of competitiveness. This year’s Monaco story is the same!
Abramovich era was a good thing, Chelsea showed the way, and then came another rush of Oil money from Shiekh Mansoor, and this time it was Manchester City. Chelsea still remained a business, and are quite successful today by measure of young players they loan and sell around the world. Manchester City have become much more. There is a genuine streak of ambition in them to dominate and build something much more than a business.
Again an interesting reflection here, both Sheikh Mansour and Abramovich could have ended up buying some other club, Maybe Spurs, Maybe Everton !, would we have had some other clubs in prominence now!
The Ambition
Manchester City is still comparatively less successful than Chelsea in trophies, champions league, etc, however one streak of Manchester City is quite different. Its the ‘ambition’ they have with the club, a desire to dominate the top in Europe. They won the league, and then few years later repeated it, and now done and dusted with it, they want the champions league. Its similar to the way we approach a computer game, Fifa or PES, levels to conquer, and move further.
Per Guardiola, and the way they chased him for his signature, shows their ambition, to dominate. The first time Per burst into the scene with Barcelona and won all that was there to be won, was amazing, it was like Valentino Rossi!. Then is move to Bayern baffled me a bit, a Champions league winner, a great squad, what extra was he going to bring to them!
however, Manchester City are his pet project now, a team in his image, the way he wants, barring a few players he has changed everything with club, a new philosophy, a new style of football, and it is showing now with the way they are playing now.
The only astonishing story is that, Manchester City have a competitor in ambition this year, and thats PSG!. It will be exciting to see what happens, as both the clubs seem certain to clash in the knock out stages in the Champions league.
Memory
However, the fourth season was theirs, and what a way to secure the title. That last minute goal by Sergio Agüero!!! There has not been a more captivating moment in league titles as that goal. It was like a golden boot winner at a World Cup final, unexpected, thrilling, a photo finish. Title won on goal difference, however the way it got secured is legendary. Sometimes it is moments like this that stay with fans, it is not about how many titles won, goals scored, its moments that make football history rather than bland statistics, like Istanbul for Liverpool, like 89 for Arsenal, that goal by Sergio Agüero will always have a special place in History.
Managers
Players
This year we all thought it was a De Bruyne year, and he has lived up to the expectations. There has been a steady rise in his performance, lifting him to the category of a superstar!
However a glance at top players at Manchester City provides a great perspective. The surprise package for me this year, has been the re-emergence of David Silva as the orchestrator, I was always amazed by his skills and his presence of mind to manage games, this year he has turned it up a notch.
Kun Agüero is already a club legend, this year seems slightly as his comeback year, as he trashes records one by one. last year the fear was that he might go the Joe Hart way, however he has re-established himself at the club.
Where Silva and Agüero are the established faces, reinvigorating the club, and De Bruyne is many ways the challenger, Manchester City as also blessed with a potential superstar in Gabriel Jesus. So its attack is a combination of the experienced, the movers, is potent on its day to just wish away the opponents
Invincible!
As an Arsenal fan, Invincible season is revered , something etched forever, forever inimitable. Nevertheless, this year it genuinely is under threat. This has been a decade of the impossible getting shattered, Leicester did the un
It is difficult, come February, the schedule will become tighter, injuries, mid week fixtures, all might just ensure a slip up from Manchester City. Also if they reach mid March, still undefeated, then the added pressure to remain so will pile up. Again it seems difficult, but not impossible, and if its within anyone’ ability , then surely the current mix of players with the manager seem deserved claimants to that throne.
Coming Up
The Arsenal Manchester City fixture, got spoiled by the ref decisions, still some chance at the return fixture (for an Arsenal fan). Correspondingly, the rest of the football world would relish three contests from them, Manchester City v Real Madrid, then Barcelona, and ultimately PSG!
Manchester City v PSG champions league final will probably have more viewership than a World Cup final!
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