Manchester City Dominates Sheffield United: A Recap of the Historic 2023 Season Finale

2023-12-30 17:07:48

At the touch, at times close to the possession record of the Premier League (86 percent) and with ‘Guardiolismo’ at its highest point, the Manchester City put the finishing touch to a 2023 historic with a brilliant victory over the Sheffield Uniteddefeated 2-0 with the many of Rodri Hernandez and of Julian Alvarez that helped the ‘citizen’ to place themselves two points behind the leader, the Liverpool.

After a spectacular 2023, City had one game left to close the year and serve a last tribute to his fans. On the grass, she showed off her five brand new trophies (Champions League, English Cup, European Super Cup, Premier League and Club World Cup) to show muscle before facing off against a perfect rival to get their annual resume and say goodbye with a party of good football.

Manchester City ends a year full of successes.

Matt McNulty / Getty

In front of them they had the second most scored team in the history of the Premier League after the first 19 days. Sheffield United, bottom with 47 goals conceded, only three less than Burnley in the nineties, was a good hunting ground for the men of Pep Guardiolawhich also had Kevin De Bruyne on the bench after months absent due to a hamstring injury.

The script, therefore, seemed perfect. Party, celebration for another year. It was a good story to close an almost perfect year and start 2024 from scratch and as close as possible to the leader, Liverpool. He Manchester City could finish 2023 two points behind Jürgen Klopp’s team and with that idea he jumped onto the field hard.

Kevin De Bruyne, another good news for Pep Guardiola.

Dave Thompson / LaPresse

Manchester City, too much for Sheffield United

During the first forty minutes he abused Sheffield, who did not smell the ball and at times was on the verge of having the dubious honor of being the wimp of a team that He touched the record for possession in a Premier League match. In different sections, City stroked Liverpool’s record (86 percent) and Sheffield saved the first match ball with a stretch at the end of the first act to lower the ‘citizen’ statistics to less stratospheric figures.

At that time, Guardiola’s team, absolutely dominant, the reality is that there were only three occasions. One of Julian Alvarez at the beginning (a shot that went close to the post), the goal by Rodri Herández after twenty minutes and the subsequent attempt to Bernard Silva who met with a saving hand from Fotheringay.

Only Rodri hit the target, who in a spectacular come from behind that culminated with a shot from outside the area, opened Sheffield’s lock and allowed his teammates to play with less anxiety. Was his eighth as much in a calendar year. One more example of the great year of the Spanish midfielder, key in Pep Guardiola’s team, always lost when Rodri falls out of the lineups due to injury or suspension.

City’s perfection, crowned by Rodri’s goal, gave way in the last five minutes of the first act, in which Sheffield woke up and in just two consecutive plays they were able to tie the game. Osula starred in both. The first, with a shot at a Bogle center from the right that Akanji saved at the last moment. And, the second, in the corner that followed his first attempt, with a header that ended up in Ederson’s hands.

That growth spurt for Sheffield was a mirage. He never tasted the goal so close again. City did not allow it and Guardiola, with a change at the beginning of the second half, gave the final touch that sealed the match. Grealish came out, Bobb came in and the second goal came with a play started by the second. Bobb filtered a pass between the lines to Foden, who in turn assisted Julian Alvarez so that the Argentine attacker, at 61 minutes, closed the game with a shot at will.

That’s where the shock ended. The only thing left to know was how the party would end. More goals, more possession, more dominance or more of anything positive could have fallen for Manchester City. The bottom player was not even expected after the sentence. The party continued with good football. City did not take their foot off the accelerator, they did not stop pressingFoden was able to score with two attempts that were stopped by Fotheringay and the end of the clash served to close a spectacular year for City in the best possible way: with the good taste of victory and with Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ playing over the public address system on Etihad Stadium Is there a better ending? Possibly not.