‘Fake’ history would be fitting end to a flawed season

 

What the EPL needs now is another “Aguero moment” – from Arsenal!

To crown a fascinating but flawed season, and prevent Manchester City from making questionable ‘history’ with four titles in a row.

Alas, a winner – at whatever time – will be enough for City even if the Gunners also take maximum points.

The pressure will be off Mikel Arteta’s men who should have too much firepower for an already-safe Everton at The Emirates on the final day of the season.

So City must win to be sure and they may already be kicking themselves for having left it this late to seal the deal.

Like Everton, West Ham have nothing to play for – other than to give departing manager David Moyes a winning send-off.

But anything can happen over 90 plus minutes as it did in 2012 when City had to score twice in injury time to pip United to the post.

They had contrived to go 2-1 down to Queen’s Park Rangers before Sergio Aguero capped an amazing comeback with the most famous goal in EPL history.

Such occurrences are as rare as visits from Halley’s Comet, but City, Pep Guardiola and an expectant Etihad could use an early goal to settle their nerves.

If the Hammers score first, blood pressure readings will be mistaken for cricket scores and Pep may need tranquilisers. The unthinkable cannot be unthought.

There are those who would see it as poetic justice if City were to stumble.

Allowed to continue playing with 115 charges pending while Everton and Forest have been punished – and might have been relegated – for far less, a City triumph would have a hollow ring.

Innocent until proven guilty is undermined when the principle is applied selectively.

History could be further distorted as it would be the first time ever that a club has won four in a row.

Even the ‘Aguero title’ – could potentially be expunged if they are found guilty.

Four in a row – and six out of the last seven – suggests the competition has become boring but this season’s title race has been anything but.

Only a few weeks ago, we were enjoying one of the best ever – and that’s going back to 1888 not 1992 – until Liverpool stuttered.

Arsenal have gamely held on but City, even though not their finest vintage, have delivered when it mattered – a 22-game unbeaten run since December.

Nor has it been the greatest season overall – there’s been too much angst – mostly about VAR – for that.

Clubs will soon vote on kicking it out altogether.

The game is becoming too complicated, the rich are being pandered to, and the real fans ignored.

The referees have had a shocker, but the idiots who came up with rules have done even worse.

The self-styled ‘Best League in the World’ itself got a rude reminder when its coefficient fell behind both Italy’s Serie A and the German Bundesliga.

Premature exits from European competitions meant that a prised fifth qualifying place for the Champions League went begging.

Whether or not City get to hang on to this title – assuming they win it – the gap between them and the chasing pack has closed.

Arsenal have improved on last season as expected with Declan Rice making a difference, but they remain tantalisingly short of City.

Liverpool, blatantly robbed of points early on, have to settle for third place but could be a force in the coming years.

But much will depend on how Arne Slot copes with the unenviable task of following Klopp. And whether Mo Salah stays.

To lose one superstar may be regarded as unfortunate; to lose two looks like carelessness.

Klopp is in that category as a manager and his loss is incalculable. But Slot looks a good choice and doesn’t seem daunted by the task.

City fans will be looking at Pep and wondering if they’ll face the same problem when his contract expires at the end of next season.

Chelsea’s late surge – with Europe now likely – should have ensured Mauricio Pochettino another season after months of mayhem.

He owes a lot to Cole Palmer who may be both signing of the summer and a candidate for Player of the Year.

Despite a flying start, Ange Postecoglou has not taken the Spursiness out of Spurs who missed both the departed Harry Kane and the real Son Heung-min who was a shadow of his former self.

And the fans brought only shame on the club by cheering against their own team against City to stop Arsenal winning the title.

All that said and done, we’re going to miss it. There were some cracking games – right up to the final week.

If Pep isn’t manager of the year, it should go to Unai Emery for the job he’s done taking Villa into the Champions League.

Newcastle have stalled, constrained by Financial Fair Play rules, while Brighton and Brentford have failed to live up to last season’s promise.

The three promoted sides are going straight back down which shows the gulf with the rest of football is widening.

It doesn’t augur well that promoted Leicester may well start next season with a points deficit for accounting errors in the previous campaign.

But this season tells us that despite some of the crackpots in charge, the antics and the hype, today’s hi-octane football can still be a wondrous spectacle.

It’s too bad for us in this time zone that many of the best are in the middle of the night.

In contrast, our early kick-offs are often tame affairs where neither players nor fans seem properly warmed up. Jurgen Klopp has a point.

There’s still the FA Cup the following weekend which gives Manchester United a chance of an automatic place in the Europa League – something they may not get from their final league position.

But they have to beat City.

Part-owner Jim Ratcliffe still doesn’t know whether the team or the stadium is in greater need of repair.

But at least he cares – the Glazers don’t. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.