Stoke City 0 Man City 2: David Silva dazzles to put the title in reach… and they’ll claim it with victory over United
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The sight of Pep Guardiola marching onto the pitch after the final whistle to lecture Leroy Sane said it all: the Manchester City manager wants more. This comfortable victory, earned through two sublime David Silva goals, was not enough in a campaign in which City can break all kinds of Premier League records. And, with the Champions League draw on Friday, still achieve even greater things.
City will be in Abu Dhabi when that draw takes place, as they enjoy a break before resuming their campaign against Everton at the end of this month. Win that and it means that they can claim the title in their next fixture – which just happens to be against Manchester United at home on April 7. The countdown is on.
Guardiola said that City will “come back stronger” from the Middle East and it sounded like a threat as much as a promise. Just how much stronger can this dazzling City side be? Stoke are no mugs under Paul Lambert and, as they should, they fought for their lives as they desperately try and beat relegation. But they did not even register a shot on target.
Interestingly, Guardiola chose to highlight the fact that this result meant City had achieved the double over Stoke for the first time since 1999-2000, and it shone a light on the fact that such records and achievements really do matter to him.
Guardiola does not want to just win this league but to achieve new landmarks in doing so. Already City have earned 81 points, the first team to achieve that after 30 games, and the highest-ever points total in the Premier League – Chelsea’s 95 under Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 – is in Guardiola’s sights. City can top 100 points and, with 85 goals already, can beat the record of 103 achieved by Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea in 2009-10. A double century – 100 points; 100 goals – is possible.
City will be in Abu Dhabi when that draw takes place, as they enjoy a break before resuming their campaign against Everton at the end of this month. Win that and it means that they can claim the title in their next fixture – which just happens to be against Manchester United at home on April 7. The countdown is on.
Guardiola said that City will “come back stronger” from the Middle East and it sounded like a threat as much as a promise. Just how much stronger can this dazzling City side be? Stoke are no mugs under Paul Lambert and, as they should, they fought for their lives as they desperately try and beat relegation. But they did not even register a shot on target.
Interestingly, Guardiola chose to highlight the fact that this result meant City had achieved the double over Stoke for the first time since 1999-2000, and it shone a light on the fact that such records and achievements really do matter to him.
Guardiola does not want to just win this league but to achieve new landmarks in doing so. Already City have earned 81 points, the first team to achieve that after 30 games, and the highest-ever points total in the Premier League – Chelsea’s 95 under Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 – is in Guardiola’s sights. City can top 100 points and, with 85 goals already, can beat the record of 103 achieved by Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea in 2009-10. A double century – 100 points; 100 goals – is possible.
This result also means that City surpassed their points total of 78 earned last season. And have done so with eight games to go.
But it is not enough. It also matters to Guardiola that City do not relent once the Premier League is won and stay full-on in Europe. There was an insight into that in the way he spoke to Sane, who had wasted chances, and he also called over captain Vincent Kompany to instruct him once Stoke had brought on substitute Peter Crouch. Kompany later joked that he was pretty well aware what that would mean tactically.
But it is not enough. It also matters to Guardiola that City do not relent once the Premier League is won and stay full-on in Europe. There was an insight into that in the way he spoke to Sane, who had wasted chances, and he also called over captain Vincent Kompany to instruct him once Stoke had brought on substitute Peter Crouch. Kompany later joked that he was pretty well aware what that would mean tactically.
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