Manchester City share a striking resemblance to Arsenal Invincibles squad as blistering Premier League form continues
AS they switch from defence to attack in the blink of eye, City deliver a damn good impression of a famously beautiful but brutal football team.
When Pep Guardiola’s team ran riot like they did again here - four months after destroying Watford in a similar manner — it was like watching Arsenal during the 2003-04 season.
Arsene Wenger’s team used to slice teams up with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg their fab four.
You could even argue that Guardiola’s team boasts even more offensive might and midfield wizardry with Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva all scrambling for starting places.
In a week when City registered 15 goals, it seems strange when you consider they still wanted to sign Alexis Sanchez.
The only area which could cost them the Premier League title will be their defence - and there is certainly no way they will remain invincible over 38 games as Wenger’s amazing side did.
Going forward, as Guardiola’s masterplan takes shape, City are outstanding.
Arsenal, who share a training ground hedge with Watford at London Colney, had Henry and his club-record 228 goals.
A hat-trick at Vicarage Road leaves Aguero on 175 goals - just three short of overtaking Eric Brook’s City record, forged in the 1920s and ’30s.
Whereas Henry was able to cause mayhem on the counter-attack, with Pires a key team-mate, Aguero has De Bruyne.
After the Belgian masterminded the 4-0 Champions League win over Feyenoord, Guardiola claimed De Bruyne was “one of the best players” he had ever seen.
Asked about this, De Bruyne said: “It’s nice when somebody talks about you in that way and it’s good to hear.
“But maybe it’s also a way of putting a bit of pressure on me to keep producing the work I’ve been doing.
“It feels nice and obviously it’s even better to see guys like Ilkay Gundogan coming back because he will give even more strength to the team.
“We’ve now played three games where we’ve scored 15 goals, kept three clean sheets and so there is not a lot to complain about.
“It’s a long time since I had a week like that in football, but it shows the strength we’ve got.
“We know there are going to be other games which are tough and we’ll need more patience.
“Watford try to play a bit more than other teams and it’s a little bit easier if you get an early goal. But in other games we will have to find another way to win.”
De Bruyne started the goal burst of three strikes in ten minutes by delivering a perfect, fast-paced free-kick, headed into the net by Aguero.
Aguero grabbed the second, and Jesus sealed the points before the break with the third, despite looking offside.
Nicolas Otamendi grabbed the fourth, Aguero completed his hat-trick and then Raheem Sterling completed the battering from the penalty spot.
There was also a massive cheer when fit-again midfielder Gundogan featured in his first game for nine months.
De Bruyne, whose team face West Brom in the Carabao Cup before taking on Crystal Palace, added: “It was a nice victory — six goals, another clean sheet, so it’s been a good week for us.
“Everybody knows the way we want to play, we have a team full of technical players and we like to play on the ground. That’s our style and, when it works, it looks good.
“Football is always easier with better players and this team is in a good flow at the moment. Everyone is feeling good and that is giving confidence to each other.
“Let’s try to do that in the next few weeks and get as many points on the board as possible.
“Sergio’s record speaks for itself. It’s not just 30 or 40 goals, it’s 175, which is unbelievable at this level.
“He’s still three away from the record but when the moment comes, it will be a nice achievement for him.”
De Bruyne admitted it is baffling why Aguero is always absent in the team of the year awards. Likewise, he has also been missing from the PFA sides since returning to English football two years ago.
Smiling, De Bruyne, 26, added: “Sergio’s not the only one who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. In the last few years we have always been in the top two or three. But we just want to win trophies — it doesn’t matter whether you win individual awards.”
Looking at this team right now, City are probably going to enjoy quite a lot of success this season.
Whether they can win league titles playing fantasy football like Arsenal 14 years ago will depend on Guardiola’s players at the back.
Going forward, they are close to perfection.
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