Pep Guardiola will be playing golf with his son on Sunday afternoon, when the Premier League title could finally be handed to Manchester City, although the Catalan showed no signs of knowing that was exactly what Sir Alex Ferguson famously did when he won his first in 1993.
That year, it was a surprise defeat for Aston Villa against Oldham Athletic that sealed Manchester United’s title and if they lose to bottom-placed club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday afternoon, then history will repeat itself – although unhappily in United’s case. If it is not this weekend then it will be soon, and when young Marius Guardiola accompanies his father around the course he will surely detect a lightening of mood around a man who has been very intense for the last eight months.
Guardiola has previously stopped short of saying that the Premier League is the most difficult of the three nations’ championships he has conquered, but having emerged from the toughest week of the season, he said that this title had demanded the most. After three straight defeats encompassing a Champions League exit and a Mancunian humbling, this was a vintage City Guardiola victory – by no means perfect but done with full conviction in their attacking principles.
“In the end if you have 87 points with five games left it is because we have been outstanding,” Guardiola said. “When people say it is a failure because of what happened last week, they do not understand anything in football. The Champions League is seven games and you can win it. The league is every three days for ten months. I’m sorry, what these guys have done all season is much more important.”
Asked if he will keep up with the score from Old Trafford while out on the course, Guardiola cracked a rare joke, “Yes, bogey, double bogey, birdie”. As for the Premier League, he said that it had tested him even more than La Liga and the Bundesliga. “It is more difficult. Physicality, weather conditions, the amount of games. It is tough. The Premier League is so, so tough, that is why hopefully on Sunday if we win, it will remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives.”
Jika menang atas Tottenham Hotspur, Minggu (15/4) dini hari WIB, poin City tak akan bisa dikejar lagi oleh kontestan lainnya. Sebab setelah ini, hanya tersisa empat pertandingan dan itu tidak bisa dimanfaatkan MU untuk mengejar ketertinggalan angka.
Namun tugas City merebut kemenangan diprediksi tak akan berjalan mudah. Sebab laju mereka sedang buruk dalam tiga penampilan terakhirnya. David Silva Cs baru saja kalah dari Liverpool di babak perempat final Liga Champions Eropa. Selain itu mereka keok ketika menghadapi MU di laga bertajuk Derby Manchester.
"Musim ini kami sudah berusaha mencoba lebih kuat dari tahun lalu. Namun tugas kami masih belum selesai. Pertandingan menghadapi Tottenham sepertinya akan berjalan sulit buat kami," ucap pelatih City, Pep Guardiola.
Berbeda dengan The Citizens, Tottenham saat ini sedang melaju dengan rangkaian catatan positif. Tim asuhan Mauricio Pochettino selalu menang dalam empat laga terakhirnya.
Namun empat kemenangan tersebut mereka raih ketika tampil di markas lawan. Sementara saat bermain di kandangnya, Tottenham belum menang lagi sejak 3 Maret 2018 lalu. Jadi wajar apabila di laga nanti Tottenham tak akan ramah dengan tamunya. Mereka diprediksi bakal mati-matian demi mengamankan tiga poin kandang.
PERKIRAAN SUSUNAN PEMAIN Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies; Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele, Victor Wanyama; Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli, Harry Kane.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson Moraes; Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Vincent Kompany, Fabian Delph; Ilkay Gundogan, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling.
HEAD TO HEAD (6 Bentrokan Terakhir) 17/12/17: Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur 30/07/17: Manchester City 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur 22/01/17: Manchester City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur 02/10/16: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City 14/02/16: Manchester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur 26/09/15: Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Manchester City
5 LAGA TERAKHIR TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 07/04/18: Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur 01/04/18: Chelsea 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur 17/03/18: Swansea City 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur 11/03/18: Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur 08/03/18: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Juventus
5 LAGA TERAKHIR MANCHESTER CITY 11/04/18: Manchester City 1-2 Liverpool 07/04/18: Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United 05/04/18: Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City 31/03/18: Everton 1-3 Manchester City 13/03/18: Stoke City 0-2 Manchester City
PREDIKSI: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 50%-50% MANCHESTER CITY
VIVA – Tottenham Hotspur menjamu Manchester City di Wembley Stadium dalam lanjutan Premier League, Minggu dini hari WIB 15 April 2018. Tim tamu sukses memenangkan pertandingan dengan skor 3-1. Pada menit-menit awal babak pertama, kedua tim langsung bermain terbuka. Tempo tinggi membuat saling jual beli serangan terjadi. Namun, ManCity yang sukses mencuri gol terlebih dahulu. Pada menit 22, Gabriel Jesus yang lolos dari jebakan offside mampu memperdayai kiper Tottenham, Hugo Lloris.
Selang tiga menit kemudian, petaka terjadi bagi Tottenham. Pelanggaran yang dilakukan Lloris berbuah penalti dan kartu kuning. Manajer ManCity, Pep Guardiola, mempercayakan Ilkay Guendogan sebagai eksekutor. Benar saja, dia tak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan untuk membawa The Citizens unggul 2-0. Tim tuan rumah berhasil memperkecil ketertinggalan melalui gol Christian Eriksen pada menit 42. Babak pertama pun berakhir dengan skor 2-1 untuk keunggulan ManCity. Memulai babak kedua, Tottenham coba mengambil alih permainan. Skuat asuhan Mauricio Pochettino memainkan operan-operan pendek sambil mengurung lini pertahanan ManCity. Keasyikan menyerang, gawang Tottenham justru bobol untuk ketiga kalinya. Raheem Sterling berhasil menyambar bola muntah di depan mulut gawang pada menit 72. Gol tersebut menjadi yang terakhir pada pertandingan ini. Tottenham harus pasrah menerima kenyataan takluk di kandangnya sendiri. Dengan kemenangan ini, ManCity total sudah mengumpulkan 87 poin dari 33 pertandingan. Mereka bertengger pada posisi puncak klasemen. Sedangkan Tottenham masih terpaku di peringkat ke-4 klasemen. The Lillywhites total mengoleksi 67 poin. Susunan pemain: Tottenham Hotspur: Hugo Lloris; Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies, Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli (Moussa Sissoko 84'), Mousa Dembele (Lucas Moura 73'), Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Erik Lamela (Son Heung-min 64'), Christian Eriksen. Manchester City: Ederson; Aymeric Laporte, Vincent Kompany, Fabian Delph, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Guendogan, David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne (Yaya Toure 89;), Gabriel Jesus (Bruno Silva 76'), Leroy Sane (Nicola Otamendi 64'), Raheem Sterling.
