Monday night was why Pep Guardiola had been railing against the idea that Manchester City’s experience would prove the defining element of this title race. Thirteen minutes of madness. Thirteen minutes when the calm heads went wandering off elsewhere.
The past is the past, City’s boss always says, and that they have hauled in Premier League leaders in such dramatic circumstances before offered no guarantee that history would repeat itself with half a new team not in possession of the muscle memory many presume is at their disposal on tap.
Monday’s troubles on the banks of the Mersey had felt somewhat signposted over the past fortnight. Requiring a late comeback to edge out Southampton at Wembley and before that, only grinding out a one-goal win over doomed Burnley. For whatever reason, the rhythm was not quite flowing in the way it had through the first half of April.
City missed Ruben Dias at Everton, an Everton who sat off and hung on before finding belief. They missed the Dias chat, the Dias cajole, the Dias hum of encouragement and leadership speak at crucial junctures. But then in counter, Guardiola would rightly ask whether Dias was missed in any of the six victories preceding this draw, when Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov dovetailed so nicely.
There is no easy answer as to why it was Monday when Arsenal were given this advantage. Some might look to no Rodri either, still deemed not fully fit, and so that certainty of midfield control went – especially during those 13 minutes. Take those two out, in the moments when a team really needs its old guard, and the response to any potential adversity would always look different.
Ruben Dias and Rodri are currently sidelined through injury which is costing Man City
That much is obvious on the surface but in recent weeks, the younger guys have stepped up and this has not appeared much of an issue at all. It should not have been an issue at Everton, especially given the dominance of a first half performance that should have yielded more than just Jeremy Doku’s opener.
They are what ifs, fine margins. Legislating for Guehi’s error is impossible, although it felt like a mistake that only a scrambled brain would make – and that was a result of the three minutes beforehand.
The Gianluigi Donnarumma save from Iliman Ndiaye will have felt, to some City supporters, like the Stefan Ortega moment. When the second-choice German repelled Son Heung-min in the final minutes during the final week of the 2023-24 season, when the Japanese raced clear seemingly ready to equalise and ruin City’s run-in. A draw there and Arsenal end the year top.
With Guardiola collapsed on the floor, accepting the inevitable, Ortega stood tall and effectively won them the title.
Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva look shellshocked after their side drew 3-3 at Everton
Donnarumma seemed to manage similar when Ndiaye scampered through, pouncing on various defensive calamities, the Italian throwing himself left and repelling the effort at 1-0.
City should have taken that as a blessing and reset but they could not and even the picture of composure Bernardo Silva gifted Everton a chance soon after. From there, Everton’s tails wagged and City failed to cope for a spell that threatened to completely derail them.
These are the bits that need to go the way of any team with designs of winning titles, as City and their feted manager know only too well.
They did that night at Spurs, two years ago next week, but did not on Merseyside. They will hope that similar issues consume Arsenal at some point but that is definitely more in hope than expectation.
