Manchester City were unstoppable again this past UCL date. They went to Italy, Napoli to bang in-form Italy League leaders 4 goals to 2.
You want to wholeheartedly agree that City really are something else right now. I think the one thing that separates them right now from Guardiola’s Barcelona is actually the thing that makes them better: they don’t have one incredible player. By incredible I mean literally that – Ronaldo and Messi between them are obviously the best footballers this, and probably any generation has ever seen, and maybe will ever see. What City have instead is a squad almost bursting at the seams full of really fantastic players; the benefit of this is that they can never, ever be accused of being a one-man team. They are approaching the epitome of a group of exceptional players, all of whom are playing at varying levels of proximity to their full potential at the same time. They also have a manager who clearly knows what he wants to achieve, and seemingly has a knack for getting this across to his players.
While Guardiola himself probably hasn’t changed his philosophy a great deal in the intervening period, I’d say that he has probably learned that he can – and maybe is even better to – play his style without having that world-leading player in his ranks. Without a Messi in his team, he knows full well that the team he is building as a whole can contribute to similar levels (in terms of goals, assists and that little bit of undefinable magic) to Messi in that Barca team, without having to rely on those moments from an individual. There’s no doubt that the Barcelona team was fantastic too, with excellent contributions from Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol etc., but I would definitely lump my money on this City team beating that Barca team.
If they continue this form then they will win the league at a canter – and deservedly so – and the rest of the teams will all be playing for second, in which there is no shame at all. I do think they are beatable, and that they have their weaknesses, but I suppose the big test is how they can manage those weaknesses and overcome any setbacks, should they happen. If they can keep this momentum going, then there is a very real chance that they could go all the way in the Champions League this season too. The usual big hitters are all slightly off their best at the moment, so this might be their Leicester moment (though I’m not suggesting it would be a surprise of the same proportions).
