Manchester City cut gap to leaders as Álvarez seals stroll past Sheffield United

“We are the champions … of the world” from the Queen standard heralded Manchester City before a victory achieved with the kind of purring confidence that has marked Pep Guardiola’s glittering seven-year tenure. They are up to third, two points behind the leaders, Liverpool, courtesy of goals in either half by Rodri and Julián Álvarez, Sheffield United pummelled all afternoon like so many visitors here are.

After the five trophies they currently hold were paraded on the pitch by five lucky fans, City’s players got down to the business of trying to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since early November. The Blades were ideal opponents as they had not won the fixture since City’s home was Maine Road: in 1987 when Chris Wilder was in the XI for a 3-2 Division Two win. And Wilder’s side arrived bottom – five points from the last safe spot and coming off the demoralising 3-2 loss to Luton caused by two late own goals.

The last of the City quintet of silverware from their fabulous 2023 is the Club World Cup. Of last Friday-week’s 4-0 shellacking of Fluminense in the final, Guardiola said: “To win means you are the best team in the world. It was a beautiful day.”

Just as ideal was the hard-fought 3-1 victory at Everton in their first game back and going into the interval 1-0 ahead in this game. The Blades were informed of nothing new by Guardiola’s men when, from kick-off, they strung together a multi-pass play that after two minutes-plus ended in an Álvarez shot, those in the striped tops having not touched the ball.

As ominous was seeing Kevin De Bruyne on the substitutes list for the first time since going off injured during the opening-day win at Burnley. The imperious Belgian would have approved of his side’s opener. Manuel Akanji had previously punted a pass out for a United throw-in but this time he found Foden with precision. As Vinícius Souza shoved the No 47 over he touched the ball to the on-running Rodri. The Blades backed off fatally and the Spaniard steered a cool finish beyond Wes Foderingham into the left corner.

From this juncture it felt like United were lucky to have nil. City employed their old routine, shuffling bodies at will into multitudinous positions, as when Álvarez dropped off the front to link on halfway and Foden, for the moment, took up his No 9 zone.

In recent weeks the latter has convinced as a De Bruyne replacement so smart is his vision and execution, and so it was that Bernardo Silva benefited from a cute defence-splitter. The Portuguese unloaded, this time Foderingham tipping away.

With 85.9% possession as the half-hour mark passed, City were moving the opponent around like Subbuteo players. But their being only one goal ahead against the lowest of blocks allowed the visitors hope. This was the status at the break: William Osula twice drawing Ederson saves, plus a yellow card for Guardiola’s remonstration with the fourth official, Christoper Kavangh, after a Souza challenge on Silva, the only other incident.

Five minutes of the second half had passed when Guardiola took off Jack Grealish – for Oscar Bobb – perhaps to give the winger a breather after the recent harrowing robbery of his house.

After Foden failed to pull the trigger when through and Álvarez sprayed wide the manager threw hands, conscious that United might still snatch something. A slick sequence ended the concern. Bobb was supreme here, his return to Foden slicing the right side of United’s defence in two, the cross from the latter for Álvarez as lethal, leaving the Argentinian a tap-in.

On seeing De Bruyne warm up the home faithful gave him a massive cheer but Guardiola’s next introductions were Rúben Dias and Rico Lewis for Kyle Walker and Mateo Kovacic. De Bruyne was not required – it was this type of outing for the champions.