Regrets. Even Pep Guardiola has a few. One has lingered for the best part of a month – and it’s not actually of any great consequence.
He came to the realisation that there weren’t enough father figures – his words – when Manchester City lost here against Bayer Leverkusen three weeks ago, when Guardiola rang the changes, and that decision has weighed on him since.
He mentioned it in the build up to beating Brentford, again taking the blame for that Champions League selection, contributing to a defeat that didn’t feel like mattering on the night and certainly doesn’t now given City’s exploits in the Bernabeu last Wednesday.
Guardiola reasoned that amid the 10 changes, he’d forgotten to pick a father figure to help and to cajole. Which felt somewhat strange given that night’s ageing defensive pairing of Nathan Ake and John Stones actually have children.
On first glance, it felt like some Guardiola hot air because the City side that reached a first Carabao Cup semi-final since 2021 seemed younger than that one to struggle so badly against Leverkusen. But his definition of father figure is loose: it’s not the age, it’s the influence they have on others. The trust team-mates possess in them.
Immediately the description, in its purest sense, casts you towards a centre half. Rugged, an organiser. Ruben Dias, really. It doesn’t necessarily make you think attackers. It definitely doesn’t make you think of a flamboyant 22-year-old Frenchman named in a Guardiola team for just the 10th time.
Man City’s £31m man Rayan Cherki showed why he is the steal of the year on Wednesday night
The summer signing scored a superb goal as Man City beat Brentford 2-0 in the Carabao Cup
Pep Guardiola gave several key players including Erling Haaland a rest ahead of the weekend
Yet Rayan Cherki appears to stand alone in this respect. When he receives then ball, it sticks when it needs to and he can produce magic moments like in the 32nd minute when cutting back inside, sending poor Mikkel Damsgaard sliding out of view in a Manchester deluge as if recording a meme, and rifling into the top corner from just outside the box.
Rifled on his weaker right foot, although that definition of weaker is just as open as Guardiola’s fathers. The goal was a thing of beauty and rush of adrenaline, such marvel that the television replays didn’t do it nearly enough justice. ‘He’s exceptional,’ Guardiola said. ‘A blind guy realises that.’
And then, as Phil Foden found at Selhurst Park on Sunday, came the criticism. Criticism reserved only for the very best Guardiola gets to work with. ‘After the goal Rayan didn’t play very well,’ the City boss added. ‘In the second half he did not do the job he should have defensively.’
Classic Guardiola. Anyway, only Bruno Fernandes has more assists than Cherki in the Premier League despite just the six starts and once the goals start flowing – he doesn’t record too many, that much clear when throwing out both the Robot and a Lotus pose for this one – he will become an even scarier prospect.
At £31million, he is already steal of the year. And for this assignment, Cherki’s rhythm and run of form acted as a safety blanket for those around him. If in doubt, give it to Cherki – one of just four to have retained their spots from victory at Crystal Palace.
A comfort and some gold dust on an occasion failing to stir proper excitement, the Etihad Stadium nowhere near capacity and Keith Andrews having chosen to alter half of his team from the weekend. Brentford have only ever made the semi-final of a major competition once before, four years ago, and their supporters may have wanted more gumption in the knowledge that the gap between them and the bottom three is seven points.
As it was, City played chicken with Brentford’s direct balls over the top – often catching their visitors offside in a world without VAR.
That is easier when the speed of Abdukodir Khusanov is in the back line, although the Uzbekistan international may have considered himself fortunate to have escaped with a booking when Kevin Schade raced through. ‘I’m very quick to defend officials but it’s one I feel they didn’t get right and the explanation about the touch taking him away from goal doesn’t sit well with me,’ Andrews said.
Savinho made it two midway through the second half, handing City a comfortable cushion
Oscar Bobb was forced off with injury setback in the first half and replaced by Phil Foden
Guardiola disagreed, inviting Andrews for coffee at City’s training base on Thursday morning to discuss as Brentford stay north and use City’s facilities before their weekend trip to Wolves.
That’s designed to spare legs. City tried that too, giving some rest to plenty, while agitated that Nico Gonzalez and Phil Foden were required – the latter after Oscar Bobb’s luckless injury record continued 19 minutes in.
Guardiola’s pointed messaging, backing up what he’d said after Leverkusen – that the players wouldn’t take risks for fear of mistakes – may have struck a chord. Certainly with Savinho, whose performances have steadily improved in the last fortnight, starting with a brief cameo against Sunderland.
The City boss was frustrated by Savinho’s display in the chaotic win at Fulham, failing to track back as they clung on, but is more enthused now. The Brazilian finished the tie seven minutes after the hour, menacingly driving towards Hakon Valdimarsson’s goal, a deflected shot looping into the top corner. Not quite as breathtaking as Cherki’s effort; a goal Savinho will take nevertheless – his first against top-flight opposition since the Club World Cup.
And this is the first time in 18 months that City have racked up six consecutive wins. That was when they won the league title, the grandfather of their dominance far more zen about everything than he was a few weeks back.
