A tale of two Cities

IT could only happen to City. We thought that statement, an ever-present during the Cock-up years, had died long ago and been buried in the deepest oil well in Abu Dhabi. With a ceremony that expressed no regret at its passing.
But, no, it returned, like Lazarus in the Devil's clothes, to haunt City once more. This City, the Abu Dhabi City, the Pep Guardiola City, not the Cock-up City. But it happened just the same.
It had loomed once before. In the guise of QPR, who had the temerity to take a 2-1 lead on City's day of days back in 2012. It was when they had to win to snatch the title from United.
Fergie speculated that if City cocked that up they may never recover. Ever. This time, if they are to go any further in the Champions League, they have to recover in time for Liverpool's arrival, with a 3-0 lead, tomorrow.
Thanks to "the Aguero moment", they prevailed six years ago but Saturday was different. Where 2012 was about one-upmanship over United, winning their first title for aeons and first under the new owners, 2018 was about lording it over their rivals.
This was no longer just being noisy neighbours: it was rubbing their noses right in it, flaunting their superiority, a coronation no less. Yes, a once-in-a-Blue Moon moment. And all was going to plan. The first two goals looked like appetisers. Then Raheem Sterling squandered the third, fourth and fifth.
City could taste it, the sweetest victory of all. This wasn't just bragging rights, this was revenge for all the torment of those subordinate years. City were now in a different class and here, in front of their long-suffering faithful, they were underlining it. They should have had at least five by halftime.
For a brilliant half hour, City had shrugged off the trauma of Anfield and flicked a switch to their early season fluidity.
The dysfunctional bus that Mourinho had parked was contemptuously brushed aside.
They were making a new statement: they were winning the Premier League in record time, the fastest in all since 1956 when United had last done it with such haste. And they were doing it with a swagger worthy of those Busby Babes.
City were superb but United were awful. Mourinho looked bereft, Pogba was just loping around noticeable only for his daft and curiously-coloured haircut. Sanchez? In my notes, I wrote: Is this what half a million quid a week gets you? And Fergie had that face on.
What United were looking at was not being clowns but far worse – utter humiliation. A 'where do we go from here?' sense of helplessness. All that money spent to be just cannon fodder for Pep's magicians. They would have been crucified.
But Sterling let them off the hook. And with a referee who was giving every debatable decision United's way, the door was not closed.
We know the rest. It's City and Pep who are being pilloried – as chokers – while United are lauded for their fightback, Pogba and Sanchez especially. But we know for a long time it was a very different story.
This is what City will be telling themselves. But for Sterling's brain fade in front of goal and Martin Atkinson's equally shocking aberrations, City would have done it.
Former referee head honcho Keith Hackett claimed Atkinson's performance explained why there are no British referees at the World Cup for the first time since 1938. And on Ashley Young's assault on Aguero, Graham Poll wrote: "How he and his assistant failed to award a penalty is beyond me."
Opinions differ on how this result will affect City. The majority suggest it won't help and even Pep has his doubts. Champions League history shows they have only a 10% chance of turning the tie around anyway.
They cannot lose the league title but with a visit to Spurs on Sunday, the coronation could be further delayed and their season could peter out in anticlimax. And given the week they've had, it's understandable that City and their fans have a mounting sense of grievance.
But if Guardiola can harness this siege mentality in a positive way, don't be surprised if they once again press the reset button to their early season pomp. Trouble is, Jurgen Klopp will have Liverpool ready for anything that City can throw at them.
With a far better record against Guardiola than Mourinho has, he was content to come through unscathed against Everton.
But he will still be mindful that he has nowhere near City's depth of squad. What he does have, though, and for the first time in his tenure is a defence worthy of the name.
They are sure to be tested as never before by a City side aware that an early goal could change the dynamic of the tie. Not that he'll park the bus – Klopp does not believe in such things and knows that a Reds' goal would leave City needing five.
With City's defence reminding us of England batting collapses, Liverpool should do it. Semifinalists in the Big Boys tournament and a place in it next season all but secured add up to a far better season than United's.
You have to give the Devils credit for their comeback but it merely saved a lot of highly-paid faces – for now.
And forgive them their crowing in an otherwise joyless campaign. Things are clearly not right in the camp if Pogba was offered to City, while resentment at Sanchez's wages is rife.
Indeed, it's almost a role reversal – United are the noisy neighbours now – and can only look on in envy as City and Liverpool battle it out at a higher level.

Good, Bad, Ugly and Stupid
GOOD: Lionel Messi
By his standards, it was pretty routine but then it was his 40th hattrick that he scored against Leganes. It took Barca to a record-equalling 38 La Liga games unbeaten. He's 30 now but showing no sign of slacking. We'll never see his like again.
BAD: Raheem Sterling
Had it been anyone else - ANYONE - with those chances in the Manchester derby, you would have backed them to score with at least one. But not Sterling. His hapless finishing has become as big a liability to City as Claudio Bravo was in goal last year. Yes, he's improved his all-round game but once he gets close to goal ... over it goes. Maybe he should try rugby.
UGLY: Attack on City coach
The overwhelming majority of Liverpool's fans were magnificent in making it one of those special European nights at Anfield last week. In the ground before kickoff it was spine-tingling stuff. But the lunatic few who attacked the City coach did them no favours. If the club suffers any kind of punishment, it is down to them. Liverpool FC apologised unreservedly and Klopp did so personally but it still tarnished an otherwise brilliant occasion.
STUPID: Mino Raiola
We shouldn't doubt Pep Guardiola's word that Raiola offered him Paul Pogba – he does that with his players as a matter of course. With agents like this, even superstars are no more than expensive commodities to be traded so they can make their ludicrously oversized percentages.

Bob's latest book, Living the Dream, is available at all major book stores and Bob will be signing copies at the Be Bodog's Best Football Pundit Event & Contest at The Shamrock Irish Sports Bar, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, on Saturday evening, 14th April 2018. Games being shown are Southampton vs Chelsea and Swansea vs Everton.