Manchester City defeated Brentford to narrow the gap at the top of the Premier League, but Pep Guardiola, the team’s manager, wasn’t feeling well during the whole ninety minutes.
This Manchester City match would probably only cost you two or three hundred notes for a Tunnel Club ticket, since the visiting team is the lowly Brentford. Depending on your reason for visiting the stadium, you may or may not have received value for your money.
You were noticeably let down if it was seeking thrilling, quick-paced, physically demanding football. Investing money sensibly if the goal was to capture a close-up of Pep Guardiola at his most intense.
Guardiola’s intense desire to succeed indeed makes him appear to be a manager on the verge of losing control and even crying uncontrollably at times. Nor is it as though he hasn’t been able to handle the demands and expectations placed on his outstanding teams.
If you tend to lose the plot, you do not own Pep’s trophy collection. Clinical, tactical brilliance lies underneath the theatrical crouching, finger-wagging, and arm-waving.
But there’s no denying that Guardiola is under pressure as Liverpool continues to lead the league and Arsenal finds its rhythm again. And you could tell on Tuesday night if you were at the Tunnel Club.
The manner Guardiola lectured Oscar Bobb as the sides were getting ready for the second half was telling. His pleas for the fans to settle down when anger at City’s tedious build-ups started to boil over were telling.
Most impressively, you could tell when Erling Haaland got the breakthrough shortly after the 70-minute mark by the way he volleyed the drinks bucket in a furious celebration.
Although Guardiola acknowledges that there is very little possibility his team will repeat the treble, that does not lessen his desperation to do so.
And for that reason, as those of us in the luxury seats for this match already all too well know, he puts so much pressure on himself.