The Manchester City striker’s gamble backfired against Chelsea, so why do players take a risk with a high-tariff move?It took two years for Antonín Panenka to perfect the flop-wedge penalty that bears his name. First he practised it against the Bohemians goalkeeper Zdenek Hruska in training shootouts, on which they would stake beer and chocolate, then in friendlies and league matches. And then, with Czechoslovakia 4-3 up on penalties in the 1976 European Championship final, he saw the West Germany keeper Sepp Maier move early – and scooped the ball impudently over him, not only securing the trophy but instantly trademarking a new move.The secret, Panenka explained to Ben Lyttleton in his book, Twelve Yards, was to use a long...
Manchester City will still win the title but this was a win of genuine significance for Chelsea’s German coachOh, Sergio. A reminder from Mr Guardiola to all boys – particularly those who are leaving the Etihad Campus at the end of the year. Term is not over. The final exam is not yet passed. And this really isn’t the moment to start having fun.This was an odd, increasingly gripping game. A 2-1 Chelsea win only delayed the inevitable title celebrations for Manchester City. But it carried a genuine significance for Thomas Tuchel, firming up the likelihood of a top four finish and ensuring his future employment to – shall we say? – at least November. Related: Chelsea’s Ziyech and Alonso...
There have been more obviously brilliant performances by City but none surely so calm or complete as PSG lost their headsEverywhere you looked, people were losing their heads. There was Ángel Di María stamping on Fernandinho. There was Leandro Paredes hurling the ball at an opponent. There was Marco Verratti, seconds after being booked, pulling Riyad Mahrez’s shirt. There was Presnel Kimpembe and Danilo flying into challenges. There was Mauricio Pochettino, having at one point marched on to the pitch to try to calm his side, giving up and sitting glowering on the bench. And there was the Dutch referee Bjorn Kuijpers smiling beatifically, determinedly keeping 21 players on the pitch, although had one of those late lunges brought a...
Manchester City’s manager has stimulated a team that looked broken – and did so again against Crystal PalaceSeveral stories unfolded at once at Selhurst Park, even when it looked like nothing was afoot. Manchester City started sluggishly and did not manage a shot on target in the first half yet they emerged as comprehensive winners, a fact that sums up this season’s title race.That they could dispose of mid-table opponents with something close to a shadow side, assembled at an average cost of more than £42m per player, says plenty about the depth of City’s squad and pockets. Their third title in four seasons will be confirmed if Liverpool help them by beating Manchester United on Sunday, and that, too,...
At Bayern, we learned so much from Guardiola – he knows big matches are decided by big playersI remember a lot from Pep Guardiola. “In important matches,” he said to me, “I just pick my best XI.” You have to listen carefully, the sentence contains the core of what football is about: individual quality. Guardiola is a top coach. He loves the skills and talent of his players.Some coaches seek to reduce the complexity of football. Guardiola, though, wants to master it. One can compare his task with a chess grandmaster or with an orchestra director who gets the best out of each instrument. The only thing is that a football ensemble does not play according to given musical notes,...