Perhaps never before in history has a club had to contend with an entire city in the title race in the final stretch. Yet, Pep Guardiola managed it with ease. Watching Manchester City overcome Tottenham, Arsenal can only console themselves with the phrase "as long as there's life, there's hope."
In the last three rounds of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Fulham, Tottenham, and West Ham. These are three clubs from the capital city of London and represented fragile hopes for Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title. However, somehow, Manchester City managed to overcome Fulham and most recently Tottenham, scoring a total of 6 goals without conceding any. As for facing a team like West Ham, which has no aspirations for advancement in the final round... it might only bring more joy to the sky-blue side of Manchester, increasing their goal difference before this season comes to a close. Simply because West Ham has nothing to win if they defeat Manchester City, nor will they be relegated if they lose. If only things were slightly different, and Manchester City faced Tottenham in the final round, perhaps Arsenal would find more motivation?
It may or may not be so because for Man City, whether facing a team earlier or later in the season, it's all the same. Why wouldn't it be different? Simply put, Man City excels in the final stages of the Premier League season. What's the reason they've won the league three times in a row and now stand a chance to make history with a fourth? Now, with only one crucial battlefield left, Manchester City will undoubtedly focus, unleash all remaining energy to secure victory, thereby reaffirming their status as the best team in the Premier League at this moment.
[caption id="attachment_5281" align="alignnone" width="600"] Manchester City secured a 2-0 victory away at Tottenham - Photo: Getty[/caption]
Only Man City knows what they must do. Guardiola's team had previously lost four consecutive matches at Tottenham's new stadium. This was considered a terrible statistic for Manchester City before facing Tottenham. But this time, they didn't allow history to repeat itself in the decisive match of the title race. Haaland's brace, Ortega's fantastic saves, and even Ederson's angry reaction when substituted, all show one fundamental and simple thing: Manchester City players are willing to give their all for their fourth consecutive title.
We can assert one thing, Manchester City's victory over Tottenham in the rescheduled match of round 34 of the Premier League on the early morning of May 15th may not have been extraordinary, but they seized the opportunities to win away at the opponent's ground. Having to stretch themselves across multiple fronts, the exhaustion is evident in every step Manchester City has taken over the past month, starting from after their 3-3 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.
After that, Manchester City had to push themselves to secure three points against the resilient and resilient Arsenal. They alternated with three-point gains to overtake each other on the Premier League table for the 2023/24 season. Round 38 coming up this weekend will help the Premier League find the most deserving team. Of course, being the most deserving does not equate to being the best. Manchester City is just slightly more stable than Arsenal.
[caption id="attachment_5280" align="alignnone" width="600"] Haaland put in a stellar performance to help Manchester City move closer to the Premier League title - Photo: Getty[/caption]
Do you believe that Man City has not lost in the Premier League for the past 5 months? Their victories, in one way or another, demonstrate the ruthlessness of a conqueror. It's no different from the ancient Mongol cavalry, wherever they go, the grass does not grow. Manchester City is the same now. Manchester City may have dropped the victory if Son Heung-min had beaten Ortega at the end of the match before Haaland secured victory for the away team with a precise penalty kick. Or just a few minutes earlier, if Dejan Kulusevski had passed instead of shooting narrowly, Spurs might have equalized 1-1. There are "ifs," one could fit Paris into a bottle. But Manchester City doesn't need those "ifs" because they seem to have once again brought the Premier League trophy back to their traditional cabinet.
And now, they only have West Ham managed by David Moyes ahead of them. As we mentioned above, West Ham is now only a shadow of themselves and has no motivation to play. A draw would see Manchester City lose the championship if Arsenal beat Everton. The 2-point gap between the two clubs still brings drama to the final round this Sunday. People still hope that West Ham will play true to the spirit of knights, a truly resilient team of David Moyes.
Suppose West Ham causes Manchester City to lose the championship to Arsenal; then they will also enter the history of the tournament. But we only point out the "motivation" for West Ham to beat Man City. Optimists will also think the same. Otherwise, only Arsenal and Man City understand that their battle will begin again in August, in the new 2024/25 season. Now, destiny and the present belong to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.
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