“I said 'I don't like the team. I don't like the way we play.’” Pep Guardiola was reflecting on a result that was a catalyst for change. Change at West Bromwich Albion, in fact, because they sacked Slaven Bilic after a 1-1 draw that left Guardiola dissatisfied and Manchester City ninth.
He had made his worst ever start to a season as a manager, conceding five goals in a game for the first time when City were walloped by Leicester City, losing to his old enemy Jose Mourinho in a match that put Tottenham Hotspur top and Guardiola’s charges in the bottom half. He had signed a new contract four weeks before the draw with West Brom; had he condemned himself to mediocrity? Was Guardiola a diminished great reduced to scrapping for the European places during an era of Liverpool domination?
The answer was supplied in emphatic fashion. The draw with Albion was followed by 21 consecutive wins in all competitions, 15 of them in the Premier League. A manager who has always argued that the winter months in England are the toughest saw his team go on an impeccable run in the depths of darkness. In those 21 games, City only even trailed to League Two Cheltenham in the FA Cup. They did not just salvage a season; they transformed it.
In some ways, Guardiola’s third Premier League title has been the most improbable triumph of his career; perhaps his debut season with Barcelona was, but because he was a rookie. Yet this is a feat in adversity. Guardiola’s previous champions have tended to be natural frontrunners. This group were slow out of the blocks. This was a feat of resourcefulness, adaptability, of compromise choices then followed by an ideological ploy that showed Guardiola’s total-footballing principles.
The 5-2 thrashing by Leicester was created in part by City’s lack of a pre-season and shortage of players. Counter-attackers exposed their lack of sharpness; frazzled brains conceded three penalties. But the following week brought perhaps the signing of the season. Ruben Dias may not have been City’s first choice - Sevilla sporting director Monchi said they tabled a “magnificent offer” for Jules Kounde – but he turned into an inspired one, adding authority and reliability. Guardiola nonetheless emphasised caution, often fielding two holding midfielders in autumn. His teams are usually prolific but City only scored five goals in six games after the Leicester humbling.
A switch was flicked after the West Brom draw. Stage one of the rebuild was to defend better, stage two to add more incision. It came courtesy of Guardiola’s tactical input. Joao Cancelo had endured an undistinguished debut year in Manchester; perhaps, but for Covid, he would have been sold. But a misfit turned into a masterstroke, Guardiola getting the full-back to complete a back four when out of possession but join the midfield when they had the ball. That, in turn, released Ilkay Gundogan to go forward. A technician was urged to be ruthless, to shoot more and to get into the box.
And City managed to reap a dividend from the frequent absences of the injury-hit Sergio Aguero. It cleared the penalty area for others; for midfielders and false nines. In particular, for Gundogan. His first league goal came on 15 December; by 13 February, he had 11. His footballing intellect was apparent in the runs he made, his class in the finishes. He scored big goals: one at Chelsea, two at Liverpool, two in the rematch with Tottenham.
The evisceration of Chelsea, with City 3-0 up in 34 minutes, was the first statement performance; they had their old authority back, their movement was bewildering and brilliant. Kevin de Bruyne was sensational as a false nine against his old club. He was injured when City visited Anfield the following month, so Phil Foden assumed the same duties and scored in a 4-1 rout. The champions were being dethroned. Guardiola, the manager who converted Lionel Messi into a false nine, was conquering England without a striker; this was his quintessential tactic, but born of necessity amid injuries. City played with more control in a world where players’ physical conditioning was lesser.
Foden’s flowering was another huge factor; it felt remarkable when Raheem Sterling joined Aguero outside the strongest team. Aymeric Laporte was another benched talisman as they only conceded three goals in the first 15 league games a rejuvenated John Stones started; he and Dias formed a superb partnership. This was a triumph of the men from the margins as a side that surged from mid-table become a team Guardiola could not just like, but love.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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SUZUME
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
