Pep’s Party Ban: Man City Turn Up Heat on Arsenal
Man City edge a 2-1 thriller to pile Premier League title pressure on Arsenal, as Pep Guardiola relaxes his squad after a massive win.
Pep Guardiola's smiling fist-pump around the Etihad Stadium and then telling his players to drink cocktails underscores the significance of Manchester City's victory.
On a night filled with nerves and tension, City defeated Newcastle United 2-1, sending a powerful and chilling message: "Now it's your turn, Arsenal."
Guardiola was so elated with the win that he gave his players three days off, telling them to "enjoy life" with "caipirinhas and daiquiris."
Whether they actually heeded his advice remains to be seen, but the celebrations following the victory were truly special.
City's win leaves them just two points behind the Gunners, who, under pressure, squandered a two-goal lead to draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek, seemingly certain of relegation.
And Guardiola's passionate, emotional reaction to the final whistle on Saturday was evident in the stadium that night when he said: "The connection we had with our fans was the best of the season. We had the best vibes, and we need that kind of vibe now and until the end of the season."
"It wasn't an ideal game, but we were a team, and that's what we have to do at this stage of the season."
When it comes to the players, this may not be the same City side that made a habit of delivering consistent results to break the hearts of Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race.
However, City still have a manager and winner in Guardiola who knows how to judge the course and distance – and this victory has increased the pressure on Arsenal ahead of Sunday's North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur.
He believes that 70% of his current team hasn't been on the road to the title, but there are still plenty who have, such as Ruben Dias and Rodri, to name two. And most importantly, Guardiola himself.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will now have to respond against their arch-foes, who will have new interim manager Igor Tudor in their dugout.
It may not have been the brilliant City of recent times, but they showed the ability to dig deep as Newcastle made their 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs look easy, pushing them back in every way.
Software Services
 |
Launch your own casino platform today — get started now |
Big player Erling Haaland led by example, not with his goal-scoring style, but with his tremendous work-rate, tremendous pressure, high defensive headers, and a perfect cross from Nico O'Reilly, which proved to be the winner in the second of his two goals.
Guardiola acknowledged Haaland's contribution, saying: "He was the man of the match. Without Erling, this wouldn't have been possible."
O'Reilly also made a significant contribution, scoring those two goals and displaying versatility while playing behind City's attackers. England head coach Thomas Tuchel will be interested in watching.
He's considered a left-back but showed he possesses even more talent, while Newcastle United's Lewis Hall also found the scoresheet and did enough to show he's another good defensive World Cup option for Tuchel.
City may not have the machine-like speed and consistent winning style of Guardiola's teams, which won four consecutive Premier League titles, but those memories may still be fresh for many who will play their part in the coming weeks.
One of the new faces is big Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, a Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain last season, who is now seeking new honors and heights with Manchester City.
He's a weak keeper in some respects, especially under crosses, but he has a unique, invaluable knack for making spectacular, match-winning saves that more than makes up for other shortcomings.
He did that with a brilliant stoppage-time save from Alexis Mac Allister in City's win at Liverpool, which could be considered the highlight of his season, and he did the same here.
As the final seconds ticked away and Newcastle were pressing for a point, Donnarumma used his large wingspan to stretch down to his right to block Harvey Barnes' goalward shot.
Seconds later, the final whistle blew, and the Etihad Stadium erupted in celebration.
Time will tell how crucial those saves—those wins—will be, but City are now in a position they've succeeded in before.
Now the sights are on for North London – with the pressure on – as Arsenal face that dreaded trip to Spurs.
Thank you for reading this content.
Thank you for reading this content.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
