Four games without a win, key players off the pace and failing to hit the heights that they reached last season, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Manchester City would once again struggle to live up to expectations and defend their titles.
But Manuel Pellegrini is well aware of past mistakes at the Etihad Stadium and with displays like this he is sending out a message that his men will not roll over. As the home faithful regularly sing, ‘They’re Manchester City, they fight till the end’, and though they didn’t quite need to push for the whole 90 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday, the way they ripped the Championship side apart exhibited that they are as hungry as ever.
Two goals apiece from Frank Lampard and Edin Dzeko, as well as strikes from Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and debutant Jose Pozo saw the hosts run out comfortable winners in the end, with the South Yorkshire outfit unable to cope with the pace and movement of City’s attacking players.
Although this rout came against a team playing a division below them, the players took the opportunity by the horns and showed that they are all willing to fight for their place in the country’s most competitive squad.
After bowing out of the FA Cup at home to Wigan in March, when Pellegrini was accused of taking his eye off the ball, City bounced back and lost just one of their remaining 12 Premier League games to lift the title. On this emphatic showing, the Chilean manager clearly wants to make cup upsets a thing of the past.
James Milner, despite failing to get on the scoresheet, was again impressive with his ability to pop up in all areas of the field while Dzeko’s knack of being in the right place at the right time does not look like waning anytime soon. But it was perhaps the showing of Frank Lampard that will have pleased Pellegrini the most.
After his almost scripted equaliser against Chelsea on Sunday, the former England midfielder seemed full of running in an advanced role and one delightful ball over the top to feed Navas during the first half suggested that the veteran midfielder is far from finished yet.
His two goals were nothing to write home about, but his ability to get in such positions illustrated that he will prove a vital player for Pellegrini until his loan spell comes to an end in January. The Chilean boss refused to rule out any extension to the deal, and if he continues to contribute in forward areas then New York City may have to wait a little longer to show off one of their prized assets on American shores.
Though Lampard’s appearance exemplified the gulf in class between Manchester City and the modern day Sheffield Wednesday, the way in which they tore the Owls apart was down to Pellegrini as much his players. Many managers across the third round named sides that bore little resemblance to those that appeared in the league over the weekend, but City are clearly keen to keep their hands on this trophy and eradicate any slip-ups whatsoever.
Wednesday boss Stuart Gray admitted he was shocked at the team his players were put up against, but it is that ruthlessness that makes City stand out from the rest. Of course they have the squad to bench players such as Sergio Aguero and David Silva and still give run-outs to seasoned international stars, but it is their hunger and inability to give anyone an easy night that sets them apart.
Not all issues have been ironed out, though, with the Toure conundrum still evident. The Ivorian again looked off the pace in the first half before being pushed into a more advanced role, while the fact that it took the hosts 47 minutes to break down a stubborn but not overly challenging Wednesday backline highlights how vital Yaya is to Pellegrini’s delicate system.
But with City looking to hold off the challenge of Chelsea and cement their place as England’s No.1 club, nights like these could become a regular occurance this season. It’s about time it was learned not to write this team off.
GOAL
