Job Done, Watford 0 vs. 5 City

“This is one of the best groups of players I have worked with in my life.”, Pep Guardiola  – 21/05/2017.

Goals: Kompany (5'), Agüero (23', 36'), Fernandinho (41'), Jesus (58');

Line Up (4-1-4-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Caballero (6.5)
Fernandinho (7)
Otamendi (6.5)
Kompany (7.5)
Clichy (6.5)
Touré (7.5), (Sagna 63' (6))
De Bruyne (8)
Sané (7), (Navas 62' (5.5))
Silva (7.5)
Agüero (8), (Iheanacho 71' (5.5))
Jesus (7.5)

Referee; Jonathan Moss (6)

Stats;Possession, 33%/67%; Shots, 6(3)/15(9); Corners, 4/5; Fouls, 12/10

Third place was secured by half time, we kept a clean sheet, and played some sublime football bringing five goals away from home, when a scabby 1-0 would have been enough. So why are we not a little more elated? Should it feel a little sweeter than it does? After all, over the years Arsenal fans and press have made so much of securing what is surely the bare minimum for a top club in the Premier League; securing a Champions League spot. Perhaps because it could have been so much more? De Bruyne to have made it 2-0 at home verses Chelsea? a different referee in the FA Cup semi-final (or so many other games for that matter), or maybe turning up in the first half away to Monaco? However, the job is now done, and this is the seventh Season on the trot City have qualified; a long way from where we would dared to dream just a few more years ago.  If this Season's lessons have been learned then the future does look bright.

So what were the lessons of the season? "Promise of Magic" Blog tries to make some sense of how and where City will need to do better next Season:

5. Be Clinical: City's 80 goals should have been more, and falls well short of the 102 in the last title season with Pellegrini in 2014, or even the 93 under Mancini's fabulous title win in 2012. This is one area where its difficult to pinpoint the problem, except perhaps for more players to be quicker into the area. One for Pep to ponder

4. Not So Bravo: Of all the Pep decisions, one certainly is obvious to point out that did not pay off; the ditching of a fan's erstwhile hero to replace him with someone who ultimately failed miserably to settle in the Premier League. Willy Cabellero has been a step up, but a new number one you would think is on the cards. 

3. Protect the Players From Poor Officials: There are no plans for video or any other technology to assist referees in the Premiership next Season. The only change the numpties at the FA could come up with to try and halt the disastrous standard of refereeing, is retrospective action against diving, which will of course be used subjectively. With City being on the harsh end of all other retrospective decision making by the FA, with David Gill steering a steady course for some but not others in upholding standards, I wouldn't see it being any different for this rule. So the club need to do more, make a stand, be vocal. If Pep cannot risk a ban, then send out staff members who can shine a light on just how dreadful refereeing standards are - and how it costs City points more often than not

2. Its a Game of Two Halves: ... and too often City have not played to the same pace and intensity for the full ninety minutes. Slow starts, a character trait of Pellegrini's latter years, or a lackadaisical last twenty minutes (a new and worrying phenomenon), have cost City, especially at home. With so much TV cash making every club capable taking advantage of a temporary lack of concentration, knocking this behavior on the head, and playing every minute of every game is the only way to win a title.

1. The Case for the Defence: On too many occasions there just hasn't been anything positive to say. But its more than just the obvious investment required on both full-backs. It is no coincidence that Vincent Kompany's return to fitness has seen some of City's best defensive displays, he brings not only positional and tackling prowess, but calmness, assuredness, and leadership. He makes players around him, especially Otamendi, play better. So unlike last year City cannot just invest in youth in this area, experience and leadership is needed to protect against the, unfortunately likely, event Kompany picks up another injury..

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me