Of course Pep Guardiola was right. After watching his Manchester City side slip the lead on three separate occasions during Sunday’s 4-4 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he pointed to the Premier League table (City are top) and his side’s early progress to the Champions League knockout stage as proof that His players have not become “soft” this season.
No one pointed this out, so perhaps Guardiola was playing mind games with his team by claiming that last season’s treble success had no effect on his players’ mentality and determination to win again. Perhaps it was just a timely reminder from the City manager that it will take another herculean effort this season for him to come close to repeating the remarkable feat of winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
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But while City enter the international break a point at the top of the table – and were two points behind Arsenal after the same number of games a year ago – Sunday’s stunning match at Chelsea provided further evidence that Guardiola’s side face a tougher campaign this time around and must prepare for a race. A more competitive title. This does not mean that City have fallen below last season’s levels. The truth is that opponents are now more prepared to confront them.
Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a shock 2-1 win over City at Molineux earlier this season by braving against the champions. Meanwhile, Arsenal ended their 12-match losing streak against Guardiola’s side last month with a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, which was rooted in coach Mikel Arteta’s willingness to play an attacking game by exploiting the attacking talent within his squad. Chelsea used the same cavalier approach.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored four goals and could have scored more, as Malo Giusto wasted a golden opportunity when he fired over the bar late in the game. But although City avoided defeat by scoring four goals, Chelsea’s attacking game plan caused uncharacteristic errors in the City team and led to the chances that led to their goals.
The opponents played with more fear against City last season, perhaps because they were still trying to devise a plan to nullify Erling Haaland’s goal threat. With it now becoming fairly clear that nothing could stop the Norway international from scoring, the teams decided that instead of waiting for City’s inevitable goals by playing cautiously, they would take their chances by backing themselves to score. Manchester United took a different approach by trying to contain their city rivals at Old Trafford last month, but Erik ten Hag’s side ultimately suffered a 3-0 defeat that could have been much worse, adding further weight to the theory that the attack… He is the best. The best form of defense against Guardiola’s team.
City remain favorites to emerge as champions this season and become the first team in the history of English football to win four consecutive league titles, but they have more challengers for their title than last season, when only Arsenal were able to mount the challenge.
Arsenal are at it again this time, trailing City by just one point in third place, while Liverpool separate the two sides in second place ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad Stadium on November 25. League leaders Tottenham Hotspur are now suffering from a mounting injury crisis after two successive defeats – Ange Postecoglou’s side are still just two points off the top spot – and it will be difficult for them to keep up with key players James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who have been ruled out for the rest of the season. New Year, but they can still snatch points from City when they meet in Manchester on December 3. The same goes for Aston Villa, who host City on December 6, and Newcastle, who have already run off Guardiola’s path. Hopes of achieving a quadruple this season by eliminating City from the Carabao Cup.
However, while it is clear that City face a tougher pitch than last season, their rivals face the same situation. Each of the top six (as in the November international break) can beat each other, and United could add themselves to that list if Ten Hag can convince his underperforming players to perform at a level that reflects their ability. Chelsea, despite their poor start to the season, have already taken points from Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and City.
The threat facing City comes from one of their rivals leaving the group and developing their ability to overcome their rivals and embark on a winning streak. Only Arsenal managed to do that last season, but Arsenal, Liverpool and even Tottenham are all capable of doing it.
However, City are still in the lead, despite Kevin De Bruyne missing through injury since the opening game of the season, and John Stones missing a large part of the season. Their return to action will give City a stronger squad that they will need as teams deal with them now more than ever.
