Can they be caught?
Manchester City extended their lead at the top to 11 points after beating arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford this afternoon.
We are not even half-way through the season and the general consensus seems to be that the title race is already over.
https://twitter.com/NickiiDupre/status/939923999835947008
Goodbye title race… See you next season. #EPL
— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) December 10, 2017
Of course, as Fabian Delph and Kevin De Bruyne did in their post match interview, Man City players will continue to insist that it is too early to say whether they have one hand on the trophy until they have two hands on it.
You sense they are feeling very confident though, especially after their win today. De Bruyne said:
“I’d rather be 11 points in front than 11 behind, that’s for sure.”
Ouch.
City are a level above every other team in the Premier League this season and this win against their closest rival and second-placed United will make them feel invincible. Delph concurred saying this win was “the sweetest of the lot.”
A lot of praise is being showered on Pep Guardiola, and deservedly so as we are seeing the fruits of his labour in the way City are dominating teams with the ball and looking more solid without the ball this season. Even without Benjamin Mendy and John Stones who are both out injured, City have remained solid, bar a couple of uncharacteristic lapses in concentration from Delph today, one of which led to Marcus Rashford’s equaliser.
https://twitter.com/MessiWorId/status/939925949440765953
14 – Man City have won their last 14 league games in a row – the most by a team in a single English top-flight season. Momentum. pic.twitter.com/082h7oDeuI
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 10, 2017
To everyone’s shock, José Mourinho had complaints about the refereeing:
“Clear penalty. I am sorry for us, I am sorry for Michael [Oliver]. I think he had a good performance but it is a clear penalty.”
Mourinho is of course referring to the incident towards the end of the match when a lose touch from Nicolas Otamendi allowed Ander Herrera to steal the ball before colliding with the Argentine defender. It would have been a soft penalty, and it seems like Herrera planted his leg to create contact while Otamendi withdrew from the challenge. But of course, Mourinho did not see it this way.
It is very unlikely that City will be caught now. The people at the Premier League are probably tying the sky blue ribbons to the trophy as you read this.
