Ruben Amorim was Europe’s bright young thing the last time Manchester City tasted victory on the continent. It really was that long ago. Feels like a lifetime.
A full year, approaching 13 months. Pep Guardiola went on to take a beating from Amorim’s Sporting in Lisbon, City battered 4-1, to start a humbling run of four straight Champions League away defeats. To put the drop-off into context, they had been unbeaten in 11 away ties before that night in the Portuguese capital and had lost just four since 2019.
Some ventured Amorim had schooled the old master and that Manchester’s dynamic was going to alter drastically. Prematurely, it transpires.
We all know what happened next but even so, this wait dragged on for City. Monaco’s late rescue act last month did come with its controversy yet also bore the scars of a confidence-sapping time on the road for a team who had grown so used to controlling all before them. Guardiola was privately insisting that a lack of cutting edge – other than Erling Haaland’s brutish form – was their undoing.
He has voiced those concerns publicly now and knows that if his confidence in City’s ability to challenge for this competition and the Premier League comes from a place of certainty that others need to chip in. So seeing Bernardo Silva head in Savinho’s cross to double their lead in Villarreal – Haaland scoring earlier, of course, now nestled in the Champions League’s all-time top 10 – will have buoyed the manager.
Guardiola looked authoritative when revealing that he felt City were building some momentum in their performances and stability, suggesting clearer minds when needing to manage games. Villarreal marked a ninth unbeaten. A couple more of those and it’ll be their longest stretch since the start of last season, resembling something close to more consistent normality. Owning Gianluigi Donnarumma definitely helps on that front, looking and acting like a brick wall. Six clean sheets in nine.
Manchester City recorded their first away Champions League win in almost a year against Villarreal on Tuesday
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City in Spain to continue his blistering run of form
Bernardo Silva later made it two before the break with a header from a Savinho cross
They are picking their way through how to go about this, evidenced by lengthy conflabs when both first-half goals went in. Players deep in conversation about positional pointers on a night Rico Lewis excelled as a No 8, taking up unmarkable spots. That role does appear to be the academy graduate’s calling, having the energy and understanding of what is required of a Guardiola midfielder should add importance to his role within this squad, especially in a post-Silva era. His dart to the byline made Haaland’s goal – a 12th game in a row where the Norwegian has scored.
Guardiola was not shy in highlighting the lack of clinical edge and ruthlessness from everybody else. His message on Saturday, after Haaland’s quickfire double settled things with Everton, felt like a challenge to the wingers above all else.
And to see Jeremy Doku waste three chances before half-time, the first and best in the opening seconds, rather proved the argument. Savinho, generally more decisive on the night, should have found the net when dancing clear too. Perhaps both will start flying when one goes in.
Villarreal’s manager, Marcelino – setting up with a low block, good practice for the league – was afforded a sympathetic pat on the leg by his assistant when the hosts just couldn’t live with how City moved the ball.
For his part, Haaland also thundered a header wide when easier to score too, the hang in the air to meet Silva’s cross not doing justice to the Air Jordan cap he sported as he strode into Estadio de la Ceramica.
He climbed off the coach with an air of inevitability to him and that appeared mirrored by others. It can often be easy, and somewhat lazy, to label a team relaxed but City’s management team happily chatted to Marcelino, Rayan Cherki talking to opponents on the pitch, another executive chewing the ear off Villarreal’s owner, billionaire Fernando Roig.
There didn’t seem any jitters when heading to face the team third in La Liga. Roig had presented Rodri with a golden broach and ceramic plate to former midfielder Rodri in front of the home supporters as they celebrated his induction into the club’s hall of fame. It all seemed quite nice and friendly – the exact conditions for an ambush.
Pep Guardiola was particularly animated on the touchline as his City side secured all three points
Man City sit fifth in the Champions League group stage table after their opening three games
City remained vigilant, refusing to allow one to materialise despite coming under pressure, Matheus Nunes particularly streetwise in his defending as John Stones did his Treble year John Stones impression of seamlessly migrating into midfield.
Some of this added control comes from an ever-improving Nico Gonzalez, forced off with what appeared a foot injury after half time. Guardiola believes the young Spaniard is eminently coachable and there are definitely signs that he is heeding advice when it comes to making himself the spare man and releasing possession quicker. Guardiola, who has gone back to his Munich chic era of suits and jumper for this competition, will approve of that and a fair bit more.
Speaking post-match, the City boss said: ‘The difference with last season is that we had players in the hospital.
‘We had 15 or 16 players and they were getting tired after 70 minutes and needed to play every three games.’
