Man City win shows new advantage over Chelsea and Liverpool in title race

There was a certain poetry to Rodri’s role as protagonist in Manchester City’s last-gasp win against Arsenal on New Year’s Day.

The seemingly gentle and unassuming holding midfielder, scapegoated during his first 18 months at City but now a vital cog in Pep Guardiola’s well-oiled machine, popped up way out of position to score a 93rd minute winner and celebrated with a level of menace that Emmanuel Adebayor would be proud of.

Rodri’s shirtless knee slide in front of the home supporters was obviously enjoyable for anyone of a sky blue persuasion – who doesn’t enjoy goading the fans that booed your team’s every touch for no good reason?

That aside, Rodri’s decision to celebrate in such a provocative manner when he could have easily run over to the travelling supporters on the other side of the goal does seem a little odd.

There may be a simple explanation: City don’t know how to react to last-minute goals, because they don’t tend to score them.

As Guardiola said in his post-match interview with BT Sport, it is hard to remember the last time City scored a significant goal after the 90th minute.

“We are not a team to score goals in extra time,” he said after his side recorded an 11th consecutive Premier League victory.

“Maybe we should remember [2017/18] when Raheem [Sterling] put the ball in the net against Southampton. We are not a team like this characteristic.”

The Sterling goal in question came in a season where City’s ability to score important goals late on in games helped them to win the first Premier League title of the Guardiola era.

Sterling’s brilliant curling effort came in the 97th minute of a home game against Southampton, with the score locked at 1-1. The win put City 8 points clear at the top of the table and they never looked back.

On the last day of that season, the title already long wrapped up, City achieved a remarkable milestone with another late goal against the Saints.

Gabriel Jesus’ 94th minute lob secured a 1-0 win for City that took their points total for the campaign to 100, the only time such a feat has been achieved. Indecently, Rodri’s strike was the latest City have scored in a game since that day three and a half years ago.

But Guardiola is right; his side just don’t do that anymore. In truth it isn’t really a problem, more a result of City regularly sewing up games by half-time, or dominating seemingly tight encounters to such an extent that they have no need to score late on.

However, in a season where injuries and Covid-19 have not been kind to City (contrary to popular belief) and opponents are finding ways to stifle their game, the ability to salvage results late in the day is no bad thing.

Liverpool mastered the knack a long time ago, so much so that it is unusual if a post-90th minute Mohamed Salah goal doesn’t materialise when Jurgen Klopp’s side are drawing or losing. Chelsea have scored their fair share of late goals too.

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Both will likely continue to do so, meaning that City can maintain their advantage in the title race if they add injury time winners to their repertoire.

Perhaps Rodri celebrated as he did because in the heat of the moment he needed to release the pent up anger of a frustrating afternoon. Or maybe it was because this current crop of City players, thanks to how good they are, just aren’t used to scoring late goals.

With Chelsea and Liverpool facing off on January 2, City’s advantage in the title race could soon become even greater. But if either mange to catch up with the Blues, they will know that Guardiola’s side have a new weapon. To win a game having been largely outplayed is a mark of champions.

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