11 hours ago
8
Villarreal were Erling Haaland’s latest victims, a ninth consecutive Manchester City game clocked up with the Norwegian scoring. This time it was the first on the way to a largely comfortable 2-0 win in Spain that suggests that a team is emerging once again, with Bernardo Silva scoring the second in a first half of notable superiority before a second in which there were moments to suffer but not too many of them. When Haaland was withdrawn with five minutes to go, there were whistles and relief; he, and they, could do no more damage. He had already done enough, right from the start of what was a long night for the home side.
City were not hanging about, Haaland, Savinho and Jérémy Doku combining to force Luíz Júnior into making his first save after just 26 seconds and the Norwegian heading just wide a little over two minutes later. It was not easy to define the formation Pep Guardiola applied; at times it looked something like 3-2‑4-1, with John Stones stepping in to defence when Villarreal had the ball and out of it when City did. Which is to say that most of the time he was out of it, the shape shifting with him and with others as well. City had 69% of possession in the first half, and the surprise was that it was as low as that: the naked eye suggested even greater dominance.
Marcelino’s team certainly seemed to have difficulty deciphering City’s movements. Villarreal’s were clearer, and characteristic, too. This is a fast, athletic and tall side – 10 of the starting XI are over 6ft – and one that would sit deep and seek to run. That, at least, is the theory. But even when it came to athleticism City looked superior and any threat from Villarreal was seen only fleetingly, Rúben Dias closing down Georges Mikautadze quickly in the area and Pape Gueye firing wide from the edge of the box.
Besides, if Villarreal waited for City, City were willing to wait too, the goal that started it all on 17 minutes a portrait of patience. A portrait, perhaps, of the passivity of the home side as well. The ball was worked to the right where Savinho, faced by a yellow wall, stopped, looked, and turned away again. He played the ball back to Stones, who played the ball back to Savinho, who played the ball back to Stones, who played the ball back to Savinho … who, well, you get the picture. Six times they exchanged simple, short diagonal passes, none of it done at top speed but all of it done at the right speed, and Villarreal were slowly drawn out.
When Savinho played to Stones the final time, the Englishman went one step deeper, towards Matheus Nunes whose pass jumped a line, hit faster back to Savinho. Slow, slow, slow, quick. Suddenly, everything accelerated and, at the same time as the ball travelled, so did Rico Lewis, coming up on the inside track between two defenders to Savinho’s left. The Brazilian slotted a familiar, little angled ball into the area and into the run. Lewis arrived ahead of everyone and turned it across the six-yard box, first time. Thundering in to score was, of course, Haaland.
City’s second looked even easier. Again, there was patience and passivity; again, it came from the right, another player slipping into the box undetected. There were nine Villarreal players in there, but when Savinho clipped in a cross Silva was left alone to head in from close range.
Although Mateo Kovacic was caught momentarily by Mikautadze, the sense of calm control remained as the second half got under way, at least to begin with. When Nicolas Pépé rolled his eyes to the sky having chased and got nowhere on the hour, City passing the ball around him again seemed to say it all.
after newsletter promotion
The changes that followed from Villarreal appeared as much about rest as rebellion. But as it turned out there was life in this match yet. Ten minutes on, there was a shot blocked from Alberto Moleiro and then Juan Foyth struck wide. A moment later Pépé thudded a shot against Gianluigi Donnarumma’s hands before Gueye headed just wide and the Cerámica found its voice.
Pépé then volleyed over at the far post when Dias could only half clear a deep cross from Moleiro. There was not time for much more: a Tani Oluwaseyi header off the post in the last minute and, before that, a couple more demonstrations of Haaland’s qualities. First, when he reached Kovacic’s diagonal ball, took it down superbly and thumped a shot at goal. Second, when he collected from deep, carried it to the edge of the area and guided a shot towards the fair post. This time, there was no goal, Luíz Júnior saving twice; this time, one would have to do.
