Aston Villa’s first major European semi-final since 1982 fell flat and unless they can inspire a memorable turnaround in the port of Piraeus next Thursday, their adventure will end in disappointment.
Perhaps the underlying reason for Mauricio Pochettino flanking Craig Pawson as the referee headed down the tunnel was the nagging sense that Chelsea should, really, have recorded an extraordinary comeback win long before Axel Disasi’s 95th-minute header was ruled out after the video assistant referee intervened.
There was another Harry Kane moment at the weekend: those moments when the air feels thin and the pulse races just a little faster and the margins have sharpened to a fine point. Kane has spent most of the last decade of his career being the most watched, the most scrutinised and the most outnumbered player on the pitch. The percentages in this job are staggeringly low. Still he checks and feints and shuffles and drifts, looking and longing for that elusive yard of space.
There had been times, even at such an early point in his Arsenal career, when the unrelenting scrutiny that accompanies a price tag was a visible millstone around Kai Havertz’s neck.
The idea for Manchester City had been to channel the anguish from the Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid into something more positive and it surely applied most strongly to one of their number.
On evenings such as these Erik ten Hag must feel he has the golden touch. It was not without a by now customary spot of bother but Manchester United racked up a fourth successive win for the first time this season, the substitute Scott McTominay’s powerful late header helping them to cut the gap to the top four to six points.
Manchester City won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in the club's history after defeating Sevilla 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw in Piraeus.
As a tune-up for Real Madrid on Wednesday this victory that takes Manchester City top, at least until Arsenal and Liverpool play on Sunday, became better and better as the game aged.
Τhe new plan is no plan. Men standing, solemnly, in a place. Covering the spaces, and then the spaces in between the spaces. Block, buffer, deny everything. You didn’t get Harry Kane and you didn’t get Frenkie de Jong and you didn’t get Declan Rice, and so here you are: watching Jonny Evans punt long balls up the touchline in the hope – nay, the dream – that Antony can maybe get on the end of it and win a throw.
Joselu, the man who waited 14 years for a Spain call-up and then scored twice within three minutes of coming on for his debut, has gone and done it again.
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