LONDON — Erling Haaland was just starting to sprint when he remembered his manners. Erling Haaland was just about to start racing to celebrate another milestone. Manchester City’s fans when he stopped, turned on his heel, and Instead, he ran to Kevin De Bruyne and grabbed him by. the Forearm, screaming in his face.
the Ecstasy! the Moments later, Haaland was not quite clear on what he wanted his colleague to do. De Bruyne certainly seemed a little lost. Haaland simply thanked him. the He asked you to help him achieve his goal. Did he invite him to participate? the celebrations? Each player took one deep breath before deciding what next. Haaland continued on, hurtling towards the goal. the Supporters traveling at top speed with his arms flailing in the air.
This stage is the magic of Haaland. the Norwegian striker. He scored his 26th goal in just 22 matches. the Premier League since joining Manchester City last summer. In all competitions, he is at 32. Haaland doesn’t harvest as much as he factory farms them. He knew, though, that Wednesday’s was not just another goal. The goal was unique.
It’s not just sealed City’s 3-1 win against Arsenal, or even because it confirmed Pep Guardiola’s team would leapfrog its opponent at the Summit of the Premier League. The significance of this victory was deeper than it seems. This victory, that goal, made a significant shift in the Psychology the It was the title race. It was. the Air of the Which hinge the The season has turned.
Guardiola stressed this week, naturally, that February is too early to consider a single match conclusive. the Tone the The prematch buzz. Only a narrow distance separates the halfway mark of this campaign. He said that there were still many more games. There are many more. the The math is not straight. Arsenal is ahead. He was clear that nothing has been resolved yet.
Judging by the tableau of reactions to Haaland’s goal, that message had not quite made it through to City’s players. Ilkay Gundogan in the midst of Haaland’s departure from De Bruyne. the Corner, Punching the air; Rúben Días was locked in a tight, tender clinch with his coach, Guardiola cradling the defender’s face in his hands; Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish and Jack Grealish were both substituted recently. the field; and City’s coaching staff was howling into the night sky.
It is only 10 days or so since Arsenal’s lead over City As if it were not possible, they seemed to be commanding. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team had beaten Tottenham in enemy territory, and Had been swept aside Manchester United at home. It leads over City The score had reached 8 points. Arsenal’s youthful exuberance was slowly crystallizing into an imperious momentum; at some point, it had gone from being a club that hoped and Take the initiative to believe.
It suggests that the tenor is gone. the Course of the It would have been a stretch to call the last two weeks a failure, but Arsenal has struggled. First Everton has been shut out by Sean Dyche, its new manager. the Goodison Park is the league leader Next Brentford the Premier League’s specialist giant slayer, left the Emirates Stadium with a simultaneous fortuitous draw and It is highly deserved.
Suddenly, the The daylight Arsenal was so meticulously claimed the Top of the table had disappeared. City Was right there, it was hot on its lips the necks of Arteta’s players. Arteta’s players became less of an exam for this game. the Comparison of merits between two title contenders and more of a test of Arsenal’s mettle.
The fact of defeat — to an opponent that has won four of the last five Premier League titles (for now, at least) — will sting rather less than the It is a way of doing it.
Arsenal seemed hurried rather than urgent. It was fastidious, but not intense. In other words, it looked like what it was: A work in progress. It is a young team that has a steep path but is still on the right track. City’s first two goals, scored by De Bruyne and Grealish is the result of avoidable errors and poor decisions. As teams develop, this is what happens. Arsenal did not have the best learning opportunity.
CityHowever, he has perfected his ruthlessness. the during five seasons. On Wednesday, Guardiola’s team might not have played with its habitual control, the poise and the This is its trademark; it was not certainty. There was instead a frenzy that accompanied its performance. the Any governing body may question the club, which is why it reserves its rights the Its financial performance is legitimate.
It is tempting to see a link between them. the team’s performance and the There were 115 claims of rule-breaking by the Premier League last week, to suggest that Guardiola has successfully used those charges to convince his players — whom he had accused, not so long ago, of being rather too happy to rest on their laurels — that they have a cause to fight for, an injustice to set right.
Maybe that’s true. Perhaps City’s squad has bought into the club’s conviction that it is on some rebel crusade, persecuted by the Vested interests are determined to bring it down. You can do it. the Guardiola has jolted the players out of any torpor Guardiola detected. the Seriosity of the allegations.
This is far more likely. City’s players realized this was their chance. Manchester City Arsenal is not something Ederson took lightly. the After just half an hour, the goalkeeper was arrested for time-wasting. and Where the team’s captain, Gundogan, was twice asked to calm his teammates down by the referee, Anthony Taylor.
More than anything else, the difference was this City Could channel this desperation and hunger. It could detect weakness and It’s a great opportunity to exploit when Arsenal couldn’t. the same. It does not mean anything is over, that Arsenal’s race is run. However, for the It feels as if it’s the first time in months. City It has the edge, and That is what it usually needs.
