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MANCHESTER, England – In Pep Guardiola's mind, it was over. While leaving the St. James's Park football field at the end of January, surrounded by his coaching staff, Manchester City manager Guardiola was convinced that the loss to Newcastle United had taken him away from the Premier League title. .
The following night, he was certain that Liverpool, first in the standings, would beat Leicester City and restore his advantage by seven points at the top of the standings. In the tunnel that night, this advantage seemed unassailable.
With two of his most trusted partners, Mikel Arteta, his assistant manager, and Rodolfo Borrell, the coach of the first team, Guardiola explained the reasons that had led to this situation. He did not blame his players so much as England's hectic Christmas, the impressive number of games. He had turned his team as much as he could to cope with the workload. so much, in fact, that he had the impression that it had interrupted the rhythm of the players. There was no amount of rest that would be sufficient.
A few months later, Guardiola sat in front of the media at the Etihad stadium, insisting that nothing was over. The atmosphere outside – while the fans, delighted, greeted the players of City during their traditional lap of honor – suggested the opposite. Manchester City had beaten Leicester, thanks to the first long-term goal Vincent Kompany had scored in more than a decade in England. Only one match remained in the Premier League season. Manchester City led Liverpool by one point. The trophy was so close that Guardiola could almost touch him.
What has happened in the past three months is an unparalleled title race in modern English history. Since that defeat in Newcastle, Manchester City has not lost a point. If, as expected, Guardiola's team defeated Brighton on the last day of the season Sunday, City would have won 14 consecutive games.
This ruthless pace meant that City could, slowly and surely, bring Liverpool back.
Jürgen Klopp's team did not beat Leicester, contrary to what Guardiola was waiting for; instead, this game would prove to be the first of four draws in six games, sending the title race's initiative back to City, the reigning champion. On April 24, thanks to a victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, City finally takes the lead. He did not give it up.
From the outside, it is easy to look at the two suitors and see one, light blue, slipping casually and slippery in the games, its progression being serene and unstoppable; and another, in red, tending each nerve and shredding each nerve, scraping and clawing to prevent the mastodon from tracking it down.
Inside, the photo was much more complex. Those who have lived in recent weeks, when the slightest mistake could have been fatal, do not recognize the representation of a Manchester City dependent on the class and Liverpool for the character, a team overcoming a technical challenge and the another psychological. Both felt stress and tension; both know for months that there is no room for error.
As early as November, when Liverpool 's players rallied away from Klopp and his coaching staff to explain the club' s loss to Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League, we had the chance to play. that the damage caused by such a setback in the Premier League – even at this point in the season – could be irreparable. Produce the kind of performance they had in Serbia during a national game, decided Liverpool players, and any hope of winning a title in the Premier League would fade away. The city could slip; they could not afford.
At the end of January – just weeks after City defeated Liverpool in regain some momentum in the race – Guardiola was of the same opinion, resigned to the inevitable inevitable appearance in the tunnel of St. James's Park. He did not watch Liverpool play at Leicester the next night, preferring to watch "Jersey Boys" at Manchester's Palace Theater. When he came out, he knew that his team had a reprieve. He was determined not to waste it.
One of the aspects of Guardiola's management that players notice the most is meetings: he holds a lot of meetings. In the last three months, however, they have become much shorter, and go straight to the point. His messages were simple: do not expect Liverpool to lose; do not expect someone else to do you a favor; do not lose all the work you've done
His players noticed an emotional tone. Others say that he sometimes seemed more intense than usual, although he was never as relaxed as possible. Earlier this season, it was decided that all extracurricular activities – promotional work, appearances in the media, etc. – had to be managed by the technical staff. Guardiola did not want any distractions.
However, he did everything in his power to persuade his players not to allow the pressure to consume them. He demands full concentration while under his auspices, but encouraged them to quit football once the workday is over. His decision to go to the theater the night after the defeat of Newcastle can therefore be interpreted as an example to follow.
This approach has met with some success. Although most players in the city have watched most Liverpool games – one of them noted, sadly, that it lights up when friends tell him that Klopp's team is in danger of faltering, but that a goal was scored almost immediately – and even though it was painful, seeing their hopes so disappointed so often, that did not become an obsession.
In the afternoon of April 14, for example, after City defeated Crystal Palace, the team bus was not filled with players watching Liverpool play at Chelsea. Many have chosen to watch the Tiger Woods final at the Masters. Ilkay Gundogan closely followed Galatasaray's match with Fenerbahce, Turkey's biggest derby.
A few minutes earlier, at Anfield, the Liverpool team had not looked closely at the City match. They too were watching Woods. They returned to golf as soon as the victory was confirmed. The fans of this club, including James Milner and Andy Robertson, congratulated Mohamed Salah for his superb decisive goal before cramming into the physiotherapist's room. goes to Augusta National.
Klopp urged his team not to think too much about City's results. Milner and Joel Matip both said they had followed his advice: "Watching the Manchester Derby would have been a" waste of energy, "said Milner, who went out for dinner instead. On Monday, however, the temptation proved too difficult to resist.The night Kompany rescued City, the WhatsApp messages from the Liverpool team were dominated by an emoji: that of the exploding head.
For the most part, however, Klopp has tried to instill a sense of calm in his players in the most pressing situation that many of them have known. Although the public has the impression that Klopp is a strong and dressed bear cub, who lurks on the touchline, his players describe him as cool and methodical behind closed doors. He has long been convinced that if Liverpool can lead Manchester City to the last day – as he did – he can not ask his team any more.
Of course, that may not be enough. Even though Liverpool beat Wolves on Sunday, even though the season only suffered one defeat, even though it totals 97 points, the third best campaign in English history, it could still finish second.
If that happened, some would consider City's defeat or the draw with Leicester as the moment the title was lost. In Manchester, however, they could locate another moment: the day they were won.
The Manchester City players were beaten by their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Tottenham last month: not just the fact, but the nature see the progress ripped off by the video critics.
Three days later, Tottenham goes to Etihad again, this time in the Premier League. This offered not only a chance for revenge, but a reminder of how quickly glory can disappear. City had rarely beaten the Spurs easily in previous seasons; The game prevailed in the minds of Guardiola players. It was a hot and tense afternoon. Phil Foden scored early, his first goal in the Premier League, but for the first time, the team seemed inhibited, aware of the issues.
Still, City has survived. Still, City came out victorious. It was a highlight: if Guardiola's players could get by, they felt they could survive anything. Brighton, Sunday, is the final test. They know that they will have to win. It has been this way for months, since Newcastle, from Leicester, for City and Liverpool: no rest, no respite, a long sprint to the line.
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