Manchester City did not make a lot of mistakes last season, but they did in this hub, and this year they want to be even better. Today, in the afternoon, starting at home against Manchester United, they threatened to move away from the gas, but decided to speed in the distance.
This 3-1 derby victory felt unusual, comprehensive, but not completely complete. The city was a much better team, creating enough chances to win away, barely giving United a touch of ball in the rough second half. And yet it did not look like a city at their absolute best. It was not a perfect performance because Anthony Martial hit the penalty spot after the second Ederson misconduct. It was not a 90-minute performance, because the city collapsed after the first 15 minutes.
But then when a city can comfortably win its biggest game, stay at the top of the table and open a lead of 12 to its biggest competitors, how important is it?
1/22 Ederson – 6 of 10
He freed a penalty that brought United back to the game. He was a bad choice in the lead but it was not unmarked for the rest of the game.
Reuters
2/22 Kyle Walker – 6 of 10
Pushed high with the rest of the City's back line and gave them options in the attack, running down the wing to the long balls at the top.
PER YEAR
3/22 John Stones – 6 of 10
He defended and pressed a high spot on the field to avoid City deflecting the ball and investigating gaps in United's defense.
PER YEAR
4/22 Aymeric Laporte – 6 of 10
He was happy to attack as he was supposed to defend, he fed the balls to the front man easily and was firm when asked to defend.
AFP / Getty Images
5/22 Benjamin Mendy – 6 of 10
The Society offers another dimension on the left wing, well-connected with Bernardo Silva and Sterling.
Getty Images
6/22 Bernardo Silva – 8 of 10
David Silva controlled the City game in the first half, kicked the ball and kept it in the game to lead to the opening and set Gundogan for the third.
AFP / Getty Images
7/22 Fernandinho – 7 of 10
He was often forgotten in this fast, sharp, assault side of Man City, but he secured a stable presence on the middle ground, causing challenges and interceptions to stop the United States as a fully-fledged
Getty Images
8/22 David Silva – 9 of 10
He noted the opener and caused the most problems for United. He combined with the whole line to get the ball into the box and take advantage of the tight spaces that are being offered.
Getty Images
9/22 Riyad Mahrez – 7 of 10
He gave Luke Shaw a good fight on his right wing and won it in the first half. Make room for yourself to pass the ball or cut in and start with it.
AFP / Getty Images
10/22 Sergio Aguero – 8 of 10
He scored second goal in the city with a brilliant ending, but building one-two with Mahresh was famous.
Pictures of action through Reuters
11/22 Raheem Sterling – 7 of 10
They offered speed and skill for Man City. He moved wide and delivered a big ball into the box that led to the goal being opened.
PER YEAR
12/22 David De Gea – 6 of 10
Taken three, saved more than that. The United should have better back or De Gea will disappear for the summer.
AP
13/22 Ashley Young – 6 of 10
Like all of United's players, he went slowly and left behind behind him who found Sterling, but entered the game and offered United's attack on the right.
Getty Images
14/22 Chris Smalling – 6 of 10
They had the opportunity to level things in the first half, but they were not able to catch the header. It is difficult to remove the threat to Silva.
PER YEAR
15/22 Victor Lindelof – 6 of 10
In the first half he came tough but entered his hands in the second 45 minutes and stopped Aguero several times.
AP
16/22 Luke Shaw – 6 of 10
He probably came upstairs when he fought with Mahrrez, giving him a free kick and was fully able to go ahead with City's pace at the counter.
Reuters
17/22 Ander Herrera -5 of 10
Questioned to mark David Silva in the first half and unsuccessful. He lost the ball several times but struggled to recover.
PER YEAR
18/22 Marouane Fellaini – 7 of 10
Well defended. She was well attacked. It is a shame that no one else has kept their standards.
Getty Images
19/22 Nemanja Matic – 5 of 10
The lack of creativity was to send United ahead in the first half and preferred to sit and defend. He let Gundogan get away from him and win the third goal that sealed United's destiny.
Pictures of action through Reuters
20/22 Jesse Lingard – 6 of 10
With Rashford and Martian, Lingard moved closer to United, but lack of creativity in the middle ground meant they were not well exploited.
AFP / Getty Images
21/22 Marcus Rashford – 6 of 10
She had a feeble game that led the line. He did not get as many balls as he needed, and the communication between the front three was not the best.
Pictures of action through Reuters
22/22 Anthony Martial – 7 of 10
He was in the first half when he did not release the ball. He landed on the plate and made a penalty to bring United back to one.
PER YEAR
1/22 Ederson – 6 of 10
He freed a penalty that brought United back to the game. He was a bad choice in the lead but it was not unmarked for the rest of the game.
Reuters
2/22 Kyle Walker – 6 of 10
Pushed high with the rest of the City's back line and gave them options in the attack, running down the wing to the long balls at the top.
PER YEAR
3/22 John Stones – 6 of 10
He defended and pressed a high spot on the field to avoid City deflecting the ball and investigating gaps in United's defense.
PER YEAR
4/22 Aymeric Laporte – 6 of 10
He was happy to attack as he was supposed to defend, he fed the balls to the front man easily and was firm when asked to defend.
AFP / Getty Images
5/22 Benjamin Mendy – 6 of 10
The Society offers another dimension on the left wing, well-connected with Bernardo Silva and Sterling.
Getty Images
6/22 Bernardo Silva – 8 of 10
David Silva controlled the City game in the first half, kicked the ball and kept it in the game to lead to the opening and set Gundogan for the third.
AFP / Getty Images
7/22 Fernandinho – 7 of 10
He was often forgotten in this fast, sharp, assault side of Man City, but he secured a stable presence on the middle ground, causing challenges and interceptions to stop the United States as a fully-fledged
Getty Images
8/22 David Silva – 9 of 10
He noted the opener and caused the most problems for United. He combined with the whole line to get the ball into the box and take advantage of the tight spaces that are being offered.
Getty Images
9/22 Riyad Mahrez – 7 of 10
He gave Luke Shaw a good fight on his right wing and won it in the first half. Make room for yourself to pass the ball or cut in and start with it.
AFP / Getty Images
10/22 Sergio Aguero – 8 of 10
He scored second goal in the city with a brilliant ending, but building one-two with Mahresh was famous.
Pictures of action through Reuters
11/22 Raheem Sterling – 7 of 10
They offered speed and skill for Man City. He moved wide and delivered a big ball into the box that led to the goal being opened.
PER YEAR
12/22 David De Gea – 6 of 10
Taken three, saved more than that. The United should have better back or De Gea will disappear for the summer.
AP
13/22 Ashley Young – 6 of 10
Like all of United's players, he went slowly and left behind behind him who found Sterling, but entered the game and offered United's attack on the right.
Getty Images
14/22 Chris Smalling – 6 of 10
They had the opportunity to level things in the first half, but they were not able to catch the header. It is difficult to remove the threat to Silva.
PER YEAR
15/22 Victor Lindelof – 6 of 10
In the first half he came tough but entered his hands in the second 45 minutes and stopped Aguero several times.
AP
16/22 Luke Shaw – 6 of 10
He probably came upstairs when he fought with Mahrrez, giving him a free kick and was fully able to go ahead with City's pace at the counter.
Reuters
17/22 Ander Herrera -5 of 10
Questioned to mark David Silva in the first half and unsuccessful. He lost the ball several times but struggled to recover.
PER YEAR
18/22 Marouane Fellaini – 7 of 10
Well defended. She was well attacked. It is a shame that no one else has kept their standards.
Getty Images
19/22 Nemanja Matic – 5 of 10
The lack of creativity was to send United ahead in the first half and preferred to sit and defend. He let Gundogan get away from him and win the third goal that sealed United's destiny.
Pictures of action through Reuters
20/22 Jesse Lingard – 6 of 10
With Rashford and Martian, Lingard moved closer to United, but lack of creativity in the middle ground meant they were not well exploited.
AFP / Getty Images
21/22 Marcus Rashford – 6 of 10
She had a feeble game that led the line. He did not get as many balls as he needed, and the communication between the front three was not the best.
Pictures of action through Reuters
22/22 Anthony Martial – 7 of 10
He was in the first half when he did not release the ball. He landed on the plate and made a penalty to bring United back to one.
PER YEAR
Today in the afternoon it was impossible to escape speculation game 3-2 seven months ago. It should be one of the biggest afternoon in the city's history, but turned into one of the lowest points in the Guardiola era. That afternoon, with the earliest title ever in hand, City played half the game of his life, moved to 2-0 lead and missed the chance to go four or five fans. That afternoon, city fans started ole too prematurely, their excessive confidence is soaked with the players, and United returns to the game to burn their dreams to pieces.
All afternoon, this was a mistake over Manchester City. Would you be so decent again? Would you be so disagreeable? It looks a little bit, given the level differences between the two teams, United's out-playing city here. But there is always the possibility, in such games, that the City succeeds in winning.
Memories of Victory in April for the United Gate (Getty)
And when City allowed her to turn a brilliant start into something a bit tenderer and smoother, she felt as if they were being put to the same mistake. This powerful pressure applied to the United Society is allowed to go down, as if for some reason they decided to lightly take away and push the fire. This threatened with the return of risky self-sufficiency last season. Instead of pressure from the front, they left United to pass the ball. Instead of winning the other ball, they started letting United's middle ground be third. Rather than boosting them, players have allowed them to start pulling out of them.
This meant that the second half of the first half was almost unrecognizable. It was a slower game, more, more open. You wondered if the sharper, cruel side of the United could use it. It was as if their counterattack was not strong enough to cross Fernandinha, shouting at the city's defense, mercilessly closing down every attack.
So even though City was half-time at 1-0, he never felt like a city. He felt like a city team holding something in the reserve, or maybe not quite forced to deliver his best football. And though Sergio Aguero won his second fast after the restart, even when it was uncomfortable with the game. One quick section of the United Fault and the City's Success, gather together to create a goal somewhere. Ederson's mistake and Anthony Martial's punishment were even more surprising and even more out of place.
Everyone knew it was a key spell in the game. Do not forget that last year's opener Paul Pogbe, pulling back to 2-1, followed another two goals in the next 16 minutes. After they hit the glass jaw, the city lost its bearings and was hit twice more. The challenge for the city then was to hold our head this time. Do not let one goal become three.
The city moved to the second half, which ultimately resulted in the third goal (Getty)
And that was when the City started playing something closer to their best. The last 30 minutes, after Martial's goal, are the most unilateral spell of the game. United never seemed to equalize when Ilkay Gundogan's free kick had found the back of the net. The city grabbed possession again, and United opened, could open them for a break. On the move there were 44 passes before Gundogan moved to the key third.
That level of control and calmness, not allowing their opportunity to come, not losing sight of their plan, is exactly what the city failed in April. But on Sunday they thought they were making the same mistake twice, and then quickly decided against it. The players seemed determined to catch up in April, and they were faithful to their word.
In that sense it was like 0-0 in Anfield, another of the few places where City passed last year. This time they went with the plan, damaged the storm, delighted Liverpool and a cold penalty from Riyad Mahrez got 1-0.
If the City brings this focus and ruthlessness in ironing all the other mistakes made last season, then there will not be many other mistakes to solve. Even when they are looking for perfection, even after 100 points, they seem like the team continues to move a little further ahead.
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