Sunday was a grand old day for Pep Guardiola in every way. It was his 1,000th game as a manager and his team gave him the present of an exceptional display against one of their great rivals.
Erling Haaland’s opener had his boss as excited as I have ever seen him. It was close to the perfect Guardiola goal, passing out from beside their own corner flag. Every outfield payer got a touch; they kept the ball for what felt like an eternity if you were a Liverpool fan before Haaland’s header eventually left keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili helpless.
That tight passing build-up was a metaphor for the game. It resembled an elongated rondo training drill, where the Liverpool midfield looked like it was outnumbered two to one.
The complete confidence to play out of tight situations, to take the pass when marked but still retain possession and to trick or dribble out of trouble if a pass wasn’t on, was bordering on perfection in that first half from City.
That style has always been the base of Guardiola’s philosophy and here it was back again for 45 minutes, just like the grand old days of Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva et al in their pomp.
Maybe that, as much as the 3-0 dismissal of a close rival, is what everyone else should be concerned about.
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