Manchester City’s class of 2022/23 have staked their claim to be ranked as English football’s greatest-ever team after the treble winners’ historic Champions League triumph against Inter Milan. Damien discusses.
This will be an interesting day for those on the red side of Manchester. I’m talking specifically about those unfortunate ‘Red Devils’ who actually reside in the city. There might be a few of them calling in sick to avoid today’s inevitable blue wave.
City’s open-top bus celebration will be a dagger to the hearts of United fandom, many of which thought the ‘Class of 99’ was a unique one-off. Isn’t it funny what difference a few months makes? United fans were gassing City up when it looked like Arsenal were cruising to the title.
I don’t think United fans really saw the treble as a realistic possibility back then. But Arsenal fans got the last laugh, with the ‘Invincibles’ season now unequivocally the most unique achievement in English footballing history. Football can have a wonderfully devilish karma to it.
The final between City and Inter was hardly a spectacle. And Simone Inzaghi’s men executed their gameplan to a tee, pressing City high up the pitch and spoiling any semblance of fluidity in the match. Some of the amateur theatrics were painful to watch (Dimarco was a chief offender).
Isn’t it annoying when these cowardly attempts to break up play are hailed as ‘dark art’ machinations? Anyway, Inter rattled City with their intensity and the Citizens couldn’t really get into their stride in the first-half. They created the better chances but there was a growing sense of unease amongst the City faithful.
But Guardiola’s men broke the deadlock in emphatic fashion, with Rodri popping up with one of his trademark caressed finishes. It actually reminded me of his equalizer in last season’s comeback heroics against Villa.
Man City's treble dreams are on!
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 10, 2023
Rodri smashes home perfectly to put his side ahead, can Inter turn things around?
📺 Stream the #UCLFinal live: https://t.co/TesYUfoDS5 pic.twitter.com/lasrvOYBYm
Federico Dimarco was Inter’s Main Spark
The goal seemed to jumpstart Inter as an attacking entity and they really piled on the pressure in the closing 20 minutes. Romelu Lukaku came on for Dzeko and gave us a little taste of the entire Lukaku conundrum.
He undeniably rattled City, using his physicality to hold the ball and create a flurry of opportunities. But he also seemed intent on sabotaging Inter with his characteristic clumsiness, blocking Dimarco’s goal-bound effort before missing an absolute sitter of a header.
I would have felt slightly frustrated as an Inter fan. Why didn’t they show some of that attacking urgency a bit earlier? They were justifiably cautious of City’s ability to play through the lines. But the pressure of the occasion stifled City’s fluidity and I think Inter could have taken the initiative a bit sooner. I criticized him earlier but I have to signal out Dimarco for some praise.
He marauded that left-flank tirelessly and whipped in some absolutely tantalizing crosses. Easily their best outfield player of the night.
Credit due where credit is due, thought Federico Dimarco was absolutely immense for Inter Milan… pic.twitter.com/6qya0dIlaR
— Ryan (@bernardooooV3) June 11, 2023
Stones basking in midfield role under Pep
Spare a thought for Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian was forced off the pitch in his 2nd successive Champions League final after what appeared to be a hamstring strain. Phil Foden came on and proved more than up to the task, skillfully operating in between the lines in an excellent substitute appearance.
He would have scored one of the best solo goals in European Cup final history had it not been for the herculean efforts of Onana (who was indisputably Inter’s man of the match). United fans can only dream of having a keeper with his distribution skills and confidence on the ball?
But I just want to give a special shoutout to John Stones. He was once again brilliant in his inverted role, gliding through the midfield with the easy authority of Busquets. Guardiola really learnt his lessons from the last few seasons.
You need top quality defenders in these huge Champions League matches. Zinchenko’s lack of defensive nous was a key reason for their 2021 defeat to Chelsea. How did he ensure that his flanks were more secure?
He essentially played four centre-halves and allowed Stones to invert. It was possibly the most important facet of their entire treble run (even more important than the acquisition of Erling Haaland).
John Stones: What a player 👏 pic.twitter.com/7lSM3K0z0o
— GOAL (@goal) June 10, 2023
City stake claim as England’s greatest football side
I don’t want to undercut the performances of Haaland this season. The ‘Striking Viking’ has torn up the record books with his deadly finishing and has added a different dimension to the City attack.
But he has been somewhat of a non-entity in their four biggest matches during this run-in. He was nullified in the Real Madrid semi-finals before being utterly shackled by the streetwise Inter defence.
And he was also a bit of a non-entity in the FA Cup final. There is a strong possibility that this may tarnish his hopes of usurping Messi in the prestigious Ballon d’or race.
I could write a full dissertation on all the financial machinations at work behind City’s success. The legal shadow cast by those 115 charges is never far from the minds of rival fans (who all of a sudden are staunch defenders of financial propriety).
I just think it’s important to focus on the footballing achievements of Guardiola’s side. You don’t hear embittered rival fans mentioning the fact that Akanji cost less than half of what Arsenal paid for Fabio Viera. Or that Guardiola got rid of his most influential fullback- Joao Cancelo- midway through the season.
They also ignore the fact that he offloaded Zinchenko and Jesus to title rivals Arsenal. There is this fallacy that City have this massive squad that allows for endless rotation. But Guardiola actually relies on a fairly small pool of undoubted quality. He also seems to be a master of psychology, able to keep even the fringe players entirely invested in his vision for the club.
I also don’t want to get sucked into this juvenile obsession with comparing the 99’ treble with this one. They are two equally compelling narratives born out of entirely different contexts.
Ferguson pushed the ‘old-school’ 4-4-2 to its zenith while Guardiola has fundamentally changed the face of British football. Half of the current Premier League managerial roster are avowed acolytes of Guardiola’s vision. There would be no De Zerbi without Guardiola.
And there would be no Arsenal title challenge had it not been for Arteta’s apprenticeship under the great man. Let’s just give this great side the credit it so richly deserves.
