His head in his hands, Manuel Pellegrini could barely bring himself to rouse his players as Jason Puncheon wheeled away in celebration. Manchester City’s title hopes are dead, and they must now ensure they do not suffer the complete ignominy of finishing below their rivals United – a club professed to be in crisis earlier this season.
Crystal Palace ran out 2-1 winners over the reigning Premier League champions at Selhurst Park, and once Puncheon doubled his side’s advantage – following Glenn Murray’s controversial opener – they were never really in danger of losing the game.
Save for a late flurry which saw Yaya Toure curl home a wonderful strike that was completely out of keeping with his otherwise abject display, City were abysmal.
Of the 11 players that started the game, just two emerged with any credit. David Silva ran the show in midfield early on, jinking between the lines and threatening from distance, his early shot drawing an excellent save from Julian Speroni. Sergio Aguero, too, was superb, but he grew visibly frustrated as the game wore on. Edin Dzeko’s awful showing drew the ire of the Argentine after he repeatedly passed up the opportunity to shoot.
There are too many passengers in this City side, but there is a wider problem at play. The sheer rigidity of the team’s structure suggests they are simply painting by numbers. Pellegrini appears to have run out of ideas.
He inherited a squad with boundless potential, while he also has the required cash to build a title-winning side, boasting two world-class players in each position. Of the starting XI, just one – Bacary Sagna – was not present on the day that City last lifted the Premier League title.
They have stood still while United, Chelsea and Arsenal have strengthened significantly. City’s fierce rivals struggled significantly at the start of the season as Louis van Gaal stuck to a three-man defence that was patently unsuited to his squad. Yet his switch to a 4-3-3 has drawn the very best out of Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney, while David De Gea has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in world football.
They now sit a point above City, with a derby showdown looming in just six days.
There are players at City who, at their best, are good enough to play for the finest sides in the world. But the decline of one of their prize jewels in Vincent Kompany is emblematic of a remarkable stagnation.
Pellegrini, meanwhile, appears to have lost the ability to motivate his men and City have won just two of their previous six games in all competitions.
They will not suffer the same fall from grace as David Moyes’ United did in their post-title season, but it will be similarly farcical if they fail to finish above United.
Van Gaal's team began the season with little discernible philosophy, and suffered defeats to the likes of Swansea, Leicester and, most infamously, MK Dons. There were early calls for the Dutchman to be sacked, as the club lurched from one disaster to another.
Yet the ship has been steadied and United will fancy their chances against City at Old Trafford. Recent wins over Tottenham and Liverpool have proved that Van Gaal finally has the squad dancing to his tune. It is quite the opposite at the Etihad Stadium.
There will have been a few wry smiles across Manchester as Kompany and Co. trudged off the Selhurst Park pitch at the end of yet another woeful performance, but it is no laughing matter for Pellegrini.
Not since the days of Sven Goran-Eriksson have City been so poor, and they now face a very real battle to retain their dignity.
(goal.com)
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