MAN CITY 1, SHEFF UTD 0
Pep Guardiola’s 500th win in management will not live long in the memory as Manchester City laboured to victory against bottom-club Sheffield United at a blustery Etihad.
And while the success was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it was still sufficient for City to open a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus’ scrappy early goal maintained City’s remarkable run that extended their unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions since their loss at Spurs in November with this their 12th straight victory.
And City kept a ninth successive home clean sheet against the Blades in the league.
But it was a struggle for City, who have won all nine games in January, against the resilient Blades who were galvanised by the win at Old Trafford three days earlier.
Indeed, City managed slender 1-0 wins against Sheffield home and away in the current campaign and in this match created only 10 goal attempts, incredibly low by their standards of late, despite enjoying 75 per cent possession.
Embed from Getty ImagesGuardiola, whose milestone win came from 673 games, admitted: “It was so difficult. We knew it would be. It was amazing after this run of 12 wins in a row. Still the players run and fight like animals. We conceded one chance at the end. Sheffield United are a difficult opponent. Every time we play them, we struggle.
“We said this will be one of toughest games of the season and it was. The weather is the same for both sides. It’s so difficult because they defend with 10 players. Their team have been together a long time, so they know what to do. Nothing is given just because we are blue.
“We started good. We maintained it in the second half. We struggle because they are a very good side. They are alive, you can feel it. They shout, they talk, they stick together until the end.”
Guardiola said he knew when he left home, and witnessed blustery conditions, how difficult it would be.
And he added the game underlined how challenging the Premier League is: “Give credit to Sheffield United.
“They are bottom of the Premier League and it showed it is the toughest league in the world. Their organisation was fantastic.
“We didn’t create much but we only conceded one chance at the end.
“The run of victories we have had has been incredible and I am grateful to my players.”
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said: “We’ve not been cut open by an unbelievable piece of brilliance. The players were up against a team who can produce at any time, not just against us but anyone in the division and in Europe.
“Our aim was to stay in the game and open up a bit late on. I don’t want a pat on the back. If people think we can open up from the off, you know what will happen.
“We’re alive and have a desire to compete. If you go a goal down here, it could become quite a long afternoon. I thought we grew into the game, which was the key.
“We changed shape late on, chucked the three boys on at the top of the pitch. They can kill you off on the counterattack, but you hope for that one break or set piece. Our season is not going to be defined by what happened today, but it’s been a decent week for us.
“You’ve seen a team that’s fighting for their lives and can cause teams problems.”
Guardiola made five changes to the City side that hammered West Brom 5-0 on Tuesday.
Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte returned to defence with Fernandinho replacing Rodri in central midfield. Ferran Torres and Jesus are also recalled.
John Stones and Raheem Sterling were named on the bench.
Wilder made four changes to the Blades team that produced a shock 2-1 win at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
John Egan, Oliver Burke, Jayden Bogle and Rhian Brewster were recalled with Phil Jagielka, David McGoldrick, Billy Sharp and Kean Bryan dropping to the bench.
City capitalised on sloppy Sheffield defensive play as they took the lead in the ninth minute.
Torres wriggled free on the right by-line and crossed for Jesus to covert from inside the six-yard box, but only after taking three touches such was the absence of visiting players in close proximity.
It was the Brazilian’s sixth goal of the season but his first in 10 league matches and the 650th City had scored since Guardiola took charge at City in 2016.
And Jesus had never appeared on the losing side whenever he had scored for City – 35 wins and two draws – which was a good omen for the afternoon.
The defensive lapse apart, Sheffield defended resolutely as City uncharacteristically struggled to create chances.
Yet Sheffield had little to offer offensively as Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were rock solid pillars at the back.
Indeed, City managed a meagre three goal attempts in the opening period against the Premier League’s bottom club, despite having 75 per cent possession.
And four goal attempts were the fewest in the opening half of a game at the Etihad for two years.
City had a chance to double their lead soon after the restart when Dias headed disappointingly wide from Ilkay Gundogan’s corner.
After that, though, it was much the case with the two sides cancelling out one another.
There was a brief flurry of action with 18 minutes left when Blades’ keeper Aaron Ramsdale pulled off a spectacular stop to beat away a drive from Oleksandr Zinchenko and then turn over Laporte’s headed from the resulting corner.
The Blades had their best chance in the 86th minute, a terrific 22-yard drive from John Fleck which flashed just wide.
Suddenly they sensed they might take something from the game which prompted Guardiola to make his first change as Rodri replaced Torres to reinforce the midfield.