And so it came to pass. Although it has to be said, and with all due deference to the need for a little dramatic tension, in precisely the way most people watching seem to have expected.
As the Premier League season begins to narrow, the front runners heading into the home bend will look reassuringly familiar for Manchester City. Whatever chance there might have been of an outsider in the medal spots appears to have been safely reeled in. The remaining challengers are already straining at full capacity. Eyes boggled, hamstrings squeaking as, on their shoulder, a blur of silken shorts and skinny-legged resolve with Pep Guardiola readying himself for the familiar kick to the line.
Victory at Brentford on Monday night makes it 11 wins and a draw in City’s last 12 games across all competitions. The three key players from last season’s innovative treble-winning structure, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Erling Haaland, are all approaching fully operational status, ready to appear on the pitch together for the first time since the Champions League final in June. And beyond the bleachers there is a sense of some wider sky beginning to beckon.
By Tuesday morning City were listed at 9-1 with the bookies not just to win the league, not just to win the double, or indeed the treble, but to win a first-ever double-treble. It is measure of this team’s unparalleled certainties, their ability to win games while steamrollering any real sense of competitive variables, that this still feels cautious; that a feat no other team ha ve achieved seems like the default option from here, a thing that is more rather than less likely to happen.
Esta historia es de la edición February 07, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 07, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Swiss police make arrests over reported death in 'suicide' pod
Swiss police have opened a criminal investigation and arrested a number of people after the suspected death of a woman in a so-called suicide capsule.
Durán on target from the spot as Aston Villa pass nervy test
As Emiliano Buendía wheeled towards the nearest corner clenching his fists in celebration, in front of the bank of 1,848 travelling Aston Villa supporters, it was the kind of cathartic moment he longed for on the darker days of his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury.
Bolton recall spirit of Allardyce era in pursuit of upset
Wanderers had a reputation for riling Wenger's Arsenal in the early 2000s and they are hoping for another shock
Brook unbowed with masterful ton to drive England home and dry
On a chilly night at Chester-le-Street came an England performance to warm the cockles of the hardy home supporters.
England set to name El-Abd as defence coach after Jones exit
Steve Borthwick is expected to appoint Joe El-Abd as England's new defence coach following Felix Jones's shock resignation amid a summer of upheaval.
Union anger after Boeing makes 'divisive' final offer to end strike
A union representing 33,000 striking Boeing workers has reacted with anger at what the aircraft maker called its \"best and final\" pay offer of a 30% rise over four years.
Brexit checks put plant and flower trade with EU at risk, say UK firms
Exporters of plants and flowers from mainland Europe are turning their backs on supplying Britain as \"painful\" new Brexit border checks are pushing some trading relationships to \"breaking point\", garden centres and nurseries have warned.
Tui expects leap in profits as winter trip bookings rise
Europe's largest travel company expects its annual profits to rise by at least a quarter, helped by people spending more on winter breaks to sunny destinations such as Egypt, Cape Verde, Thailand and Mexico.
Interest rates unlikely to go to near-zero again, Bank governor says
The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has said he expects interest rates to fall gradually but warned consumers not to expect a return to near-zero levels.
Firms question pre-budget timing of investment event
Business leaders have warned that the government's plans for a major global investment summit are in danger of falling flat, amid growing frustrations over the high costs of involvement and its timing two weeks before the budget.
