Gabriel Jesus scored his first Premier League goal since November and gave Pep Guardiola’s team the three points.
Pep Guardiola said his Manchester City players “fought like animals” after Premier League leader Sheffield United beat the straggler Sheffield United for their twelfth consecutive victory.
Besides Gabriel Jesus, who scored from close range off a Ferran Torres cross, Bernardo Silva’s header from a missed header by Oliver Norwood was City’s only attempt to score, before Aaron Ramsdale stopped first Alexander Zinchenko and then Aymeric Laporta from a corner.
But the Blues’ defensive prowess has proven itself once again. Guardiola now has a record of five consecutive Premier League games and an impressive 11 from 13.
The last elite English team to record 12 wins in a row in all competitions was Arsenal, who did so between August and October 2007.
“To show this consistency in December and January is incredible,” Guardiola told Sport. “In this league, every game is so difficult.
“It was an incredible performance. We played incredibly well in many areas. We didn’t leave many chances. We didn’t create much, but enough to win the game.
“We are going to leave points, it is a matter of how we are going to come out of this. I hope we will respond well in the bad times ahead.
It was certainly too much for a visiting team that never looked like matching Manchester United’s win from three days ago, and which remains ten points behind fourth-placed Brighton at the bottom of the league table.
For Guardiola, it was the 500th win in his coaching career in 673 games.
Human City became the favorite title because of its “incredible” defense.
Jesus is reforming.
So far, this is a strange time of year for Gabriel Jesus.
With Sergio Aguero absent for most of the season, the Brazilian should have been the heart of City’s attack.
But Jesus injured his thigh in the first game of the season against the Wolves, missed the game against Southampton due to a dental problem and returned at Christmas with a positive test for coronavirus.
The fact that his season was interrupted by breaks prevented Jesus from getting the flow of play needed to make the contribution of goals that Guardiola was hoping for, having scored in the first two games of the season and nothing in the following nine.
The third goal was obvious, although the visitors’ defense helped him by not getting close enough to prevent him from controlling and sliding in a cross from Torres from the edge of the box. But since they had already given Torres the chance to get back in the saddle after his fall, this was not their biggest collective mistake.
But after that, Jesus was relatively calm and didn’t really wake up until the final minute when he opened his body to shoot at Ramsdale, but it was straight at the Blades keeper.
The blades are blunt
A new shock like Sheffield United’s victory over Manchester United three days ago was probably too significant to expect.
After all, they have only beaten the two clubs from Manchester in their history three times in a season away from home.
It’s been 20 years since they scored in an away game against City, and there haven’t been many moments when it seemed they could break that relentless consistency.
Rhian Brewster’s record-breaking £23.5 million effort turned abruptly on the edge of the penalty area in the early stages, but shot directly at Ederson. Jaden Bogle had the best chance to shoot from the same distance after the break, but his effort missed the target.
The closest they came to an equalizer was a shot by John Fleck, fired from close range on the edge of the box. But even that wasn’t close enough to scare City.
Concussion subwoofers are on the way.
A collision between midfielder Phil Foden and teammate John Lundstrom early in the second half and another between Aymeric Laporte and Oli McBurnie later in the game brought medical personnel from both teams onto the field.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries and all four were able to continue their treatment. However, this was a reminder of the physical nature of the game, so two more “concussions” will be available from February 6 if such incidents occur, after tests for the rest of the season were confirmed on Friday.
“This is not a fairy tale,” officials said…. ….
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts to the announcement of his 500 wins as manager.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City boss, on Sport: “People think that if we won the previous game 5-0, we will also win this game 5-0. This is the real world, not a fairytale.
“Sheffield United are at the bottom of the league table and know how tough the Premier League is. We fight every season to beat them.
Chiefs Ltd. director Chris Wilder says his camp will “make life difficult” for those above them.
Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, on Sport: “We are playing against a world-class team that is on an incredible journey. At Manchester City we were way behind, but at the end of the day we gave ourselves a chance to get something out of the game. Unfortunately, we didn’t.
“We’ve won a few games and we’ve had a few tough ones against Spurs and City. As far as I’m concerned, we’re still alive.
“Sometimes I scratch my head to see where we stand, but we have the conviction, the fight and the unity that we can get a few more wins at the end of the season.”
City sets new club record – Statistics
- Sheffield United have scored just one goal in ten Premier League games against City (D3 L7). That is the lowest number of goals ever scored by a team in its first ten Premier League games against an opponent.
- In January, Manchester City won all nine games in all competitions – the most ever in one month.
- Sheffield United have lost 20 of their 24 Premier League (W2 D2) games, seven more than any other team in this period (since July 16 last year).
- Only James Milner (54) and Darius Vassell (46) have scored in more Premier League games without defeat than City striker Gabriel Jesus (37 – W35 D2).
- This season Manchester City has managed to maintain its record 20 times in all competitions, at least five more than any other team in the first five European Championships.
- This is the eighth 1-0 defeat for Sheffield United in the Premier League this season. It is the heaviest defeat at this stage (after 21 games) of the current season, next to Ipswich’s in 1985/86.
What is the next step?
Manchester City’s next match is at Burnley on Wednesday, February 3 (18:00 GMT). Sheffield United’s deciding match against West Brom takes place at Bramall Lane on Tuesday, February 2 (18:00 GMT).
The player of the game
RamsdaleAaron Ramsdale
Sheffield United
- Team number 1Player nameRamsdale
- Team number22Player nameAmpadu
- Team Number12Player NameEgan
- Team number4NameFleck player
- Team number14 Player nameBerke
- Team number2Players nameBaldock
- Team number 10 Player nameSharp
- Team number6 Player nameBasham
- Team number20Players nameBogle
- Team number16Player nameNorwood
- Team Number9 Player NameMcBurnie
- Team number 17PseudoMcGoldrick
- Team number7Player nameLundström
- Team number24Player nameBrewster
Links to.
city person
Formation of a 4-3-3
31Ederson
2Walker3Rúben Dias14Laporte11Zinchenko
20Bernardo Silva25Fernandinho8Gündogan
21Torres9Gabriel Jesus47Foden
- 31Ederson
- 2 walkers
- 3Rouben Diaz
- 14Port
- 11 Zinchenko
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 25Farandinho
- 8Gundogan
- 21TorresSwapped forRodriat 90’min
- 9Gabriel Jesus
- 47Foden
Replaces
- 5 stones
- 7Sterling
- 13Steffen
- 16Rhodri
- 22 Mendy
- 26Mahrez
- 27Objection
- 50Garcia
- 82Hub
Chief LLC
training 5-3-2
1Ramsdale
2Baldock6Basham12Egan22Ampadu20Bogle
7Lundstram16Norwood4Fleck
14Burke24Brewster
- 1Ramsdale
- 2BaldockReservable in 82min
- 6BashamReplaced by McBurniein 78’minutes
- 12EganBox 84 min
- 22Ampadu
- 20Bogle
- 7Earth current
- 16NorwoodBay in 24Minutes
- 4Fleck
- 14BurkeReplacement for Sharpat 78’minutes
- 24BrewsterReplacement of McGoldrick at 62’minutes
Replaces
- 9McBurnaby
- 10 Sharp
- 11Mousset.
- 13Lowe
- 15Jagielka
- 17McGoldrick
- 18 Foderingham
- 29Brian
- 33Gordon
Living Text
- Fin du match : Manchester City 1, Sheffield United 0.
- End of second half, Manchester City 1, Sheffield United 0.
- Rodrigo (Manchester City) hits a free kick on the opponent’s half.
- David McGoldrick (Sheffield United) is penalized after committing a foul.
- Attempt blocked. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus.
- Just around the corner in Manchester City. Sent by Oliver Norwood.
- Just around the corner in Manchester City. Set up by Aaron Ramsdale.
- Attempted save. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the center of the box misses to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Phil Foden.
- Just around the corner in Manchester City. Set up by George Baldock.
- Substitution, Manchester City. Rodrigo comes off the bench to replace Ferran Torres.
- Attempt blocked. Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United) rattles off a right footed shot that is blocked on the edge of the box. Assisted by John Fleck.
- Kyle Walker (Manchester City) is penalized after committing a foul.
- Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) hits a free kick on the left wing.
- A shot attempt from outside the box misses to the left. John Fleck (Sheffield United) left footed shot from the center of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Billy Sharp.
- John Egan (Sheffield United) has been booked for foul play.
- Fernandinho (Manchester City) is awarded a free kick on the half of the opposing team.
- John Egan (Sheffield United) is penalized after committing a foul.
- George Baldock (Sheffield United) has been booked for an offense.
- Phil Foden (Manchester City) hits a free kick on the opponent’s half.
- George Baldock (Sheffield United) is penalized after committing a foul.