Instead, Nunes took a heavy touch, turned into trouble, and the chance was gone. As perfect a script as it would have been, the Blues aren't having close to a perfect season.
It's why they went into this game without their club captain in the squad as he seeks a move abroad, why they have already agreed fees for two players in a January window they don't like to shop in, and why a Liverpool win over Nottingham Forest suited them more than the reverse because the top-four fight is more important than the title race at this point. And why they blew a two-goal lead with ten minutes to go to make another point feel like a defeat.
The finishing was not there for a long time. Savinho fired over moments after Nunes had fumbled his chance, the winger hit the post after a blistering second-half run and Erling Haaland planted a header straight at Mark Flekken from eight yards out.
It was also not a typical City performance, a team that craves control instead being happier on the counter with the pace of Savinho, Haaland and Phil Foden complementing the lightning quick brain of Kevin de Bruyne. A team not built for transitions found they preferred them.
This story is from the January 15, 2025 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the January 15, 2025 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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