100 minutes at Etihad

The good description of the submission that the City of Manchester infringes on all his rivals were carried out by the coach of Everton, Sean Dyche. Hurt in last Saturday’s loss to Etihad Stadium, in the final minutes, after fighting valiantly with fierce defense all over the field, Dyche he appreciates metaphorical praise: “At last, they put you to the sword.” That’s really it. He city He waited patiently to execute his rival. One more. Tomorrow is Chelsea’s chance to fight the ‘torture’ of Etihad.

One of the characteristics that distinguish great teams is emotional strength. Your trust. Although it is an elusive variable, which comes and goes, it makes a difference in the sport. The dominant team of Pep Guardiola He now displayed that insulting confidence, which increased his belief in success, and he almost always imposed it on his rivals, whom he stifled by relentlessly punishing their errors. They’ve been doing it for years in the English league, which is why they’ve ended up winning games and titles (five out of six seasons and three in a row), chasing a goal until the referee’s final whistle.

Their rivals know that the games are getting too long city, facing 11 confident players who are convinced of what they are doing on the field. After December’s ‘mini-crisis’, which coincided with a season of many injuries, during which City drew three consecutive Premier League games, now the ‘skyblues’ have returned to spring in full force. It doesn’t matter if their opponents lock themselves in, that they are put under pressure right, as the Everton of Sean Dyche. They must play the perfect game, with almost no errors, because City’s goal usually falls, even if it is in the 100th minute of the games.

Fighting this harassment is a complex difficulty, and it is also difficult for the poor Evertonin spite of all the trappings that a technician as brilliant as the Englishman had devised Dyche. His team made the release of the ball uncomfortable city with high pressure, preventing him from connecting a shot on goal in the first half, which has not happened at the Etihad since August 2022. But it is difficult to spend so much time defending against technically gifted players, when no ‘skyblues’ quest is the precise way to end. Dyche spoke well of the strength of the City, when they resorted to DeBruyne and the changes: “The top teams did what they did. “They’ll find different ways to work.”

unity

Mainly in the performance of city In recent years, it has become team spirit, one of the aspects they work on the most Pep Guardiola, although it forces him to constantly change the players to fuel their motivation. The Catalan coach insisted to his squad that they must have the right mentality and appropriate body language in the face of obstacles. And he cited as an example Haaland: “You have to learn that if you don’t score, you have to have this state of mind where you’re positive and say, ‘It’s okay.’ Coming, coming.’”

To maintain a good atmosphere in the squad, managing substitutes is the most difficult thing for Guardiolaas is happening this year in Jack Grealish, who finally started against Copenhagen, but was relegated due to the signing of Doku. It’s about footballers adopting the best attitude in training, for when the opportunity comes. Complaints from non-players are a burden for the coach. AND Guardiola had to let go Sterling, Mahrez, Palmer, Kalvin Phillips, Laporte, Zinchenko or Cancelo, for weak assimilation to that substitution. Performance standards in the City are very high and not everyone is receptive to it.

However, after winning on Tuesday at Copenhagen (1-3) in the Champions League, Guardiola He cites human quality as the key to being able to play in two European finals and one semi-final in the last three years, and turn around many difficult matches. In the Premier, City have returned 17 points this year, after conceding a goal. “We have character in the team,” he said. Guardiola. “When I arrived eight years ago, it wasn’t like that, but the bad times helped us so now we act with the right personality and patience.”

The four ‘artists’

And then there’s talent to decide. The return of the Belgian DeBruyne, after almost five months out injured, City’s optimism for the end of the season has increased. His mere presence instills fear because of how he knows how to accelerate the attacks of city, for his clever interpretation of the game. And, with the Belgian, Bernardo Silva and an unpredictable Fodenother differential ‘artists’ including Haaland, to whom the City gives responsibility when pressure is on. To beat Everton, two flashes of quality from Haaland were enough. To bring down Copenhagen, they are De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Foden to undertake the task. They all came in shape to face Chelsea tomorrow, in a crucial match in the fight for the Premier League.

Guardiola and the city They are making their way more competitive, highlighting the old theory of Johan Cruyff. “There are no marks to cover genius,” he said. So he praised the power of good football players, whom he protected because they make the decisions. The strong security of the English champion depends on Haaland, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Foden. They play knowing that 100 minutes at the Etihad will go a long way and their moment will always come.