Loss at Anfield: What it means for Manchester City
Manchester City has achieved two Premier League triumphs since the Etihad takeover and the City project seems to be in the final gears already. There have been monikers of the best ever team of the Premier League era. However, that might be slightly premature.
They have been living in the shadows of the historical dominance of the red half of Manchester, "Manchester United". Chasing the Red Devils’ coat-tails since the 1990s, City fans can finally boast of a brand of football that competes with the best United had to offer in its most successful and trophy-laden era.
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, the City ship seemed to be conquering all the icebergs thrown in its course. But as the saying goes the medals are handed only at the end of the competition. So, having not suffered a single loss in the campaign till January, the first setback came at Anfield in the league.
But the boat has been rocked recently. They were knocked out of the FA cup by Wigan Athletic, a League One side in February. But what turned out to be a massive shock was their crashing out of the Champions League this week. They were put to the swords by Liverpool (that too 4-3 at Anfield and 1-2 at the Etihad) in the quarterfinals.
The losses sandwiched a dispiriting home defeat to the archrivals Manchester United. The prospect of winning the league against United in front of the City home crowd must certainly have knocked the stuffing out of the Citizens. To make it even more bitter, they had a 2-0 lead going into the halftime interval.
These blips aside, City have been brushing the footballing canvass with their own strokes. Having swept aside the likes of Chelsea and United at their respective turfs, City has been as imperious on the road as at their own patch.
Throughout the campaign the City team has reaped gargantuan praise and accolades for their enterprising form of attacking football, having netted 90 goals in 32 matches in the premier league. They have had 3,500 more passes than any other team and 15 clean sheets (only bettered by Manchester United with 16).
The 4-0 drubbing of Basel on their own turf in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie was the best showing of the season and had bolstered the hopes of the magical treble.
Having put the Gunners (Arsenal Football Club) to the sword in the Carabao League Cup already, the Citizens seem to be licking their lips at the prospect of a double with the Premier League trophy.
If achieved, that would certainly not shift the power in the blue half of Manchester entirely. But as Untied seems to be struggling at a distant second, that might not be too far in the future.
Manchester United conquered both Europe and the league in 1999 and 2008 and City will have to wait for at least another year to give that a crack.
But with third Premier League in seven years, the time may well come when the road to Manchester leads to the Etihad than Old Trafford.
That is a scenario that would certainly give nightmares to the people at the Theatre of Dreams. One thing is for certain that the city of Manchester is providing a new-age "footballing odyssey".
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