It is not Pep Guardiola’s most famous treble of 2023. It won’t be his favourite one, either. First Cole Palmer, then Trent Alexander-Arnold and now Dejan Kulusevski have scored late equalisers against his team. Manchester City’s serial winners have become habitual drawers, taking the lead six times in their last three league games and dropping six points.
Had City done as expected, closing games down with enviable ease, even against opponents of the calibre of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, then the Premier League table would take on a very different look: Guardiola’s side would be three points ahead of Arsenal, seven clear of Liverpool, with nine straight wins in all competitions. Another title would seem theirs for the taking.
