Manchester City are finally marching to Pep Guardiola's beat... they played like Barcelona in win at West Ham
- Manchester City have improved under Pep Guardiola in recent weeks
- They blitzed West Ham as Guardiola starts to implement his Barcelona blueprint
- City have taken a while to adapt to the ex-Bayern Munich manager's methods
When Manchester City have been at their best under Pep Guardiola it is like watching a military plan being put into action. The players carry out his instructions with such urgency.
City blitzed West Ham on Wednesday and we saw the same blueprint Guardiola put into practice at Barcelona with new protagonists.
Yaya Toure sits deep in the Sergio Busquets role, Gabriel Jesus is like Lionel Messi and instead of Xavi and Andres Iniesta it is David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.
Manchester City have been at their best under Pep Guardiola's management in recent weeks
City blitzed West Ham as we saw the same blueprint Guardiola put into practice at Barcelona
When the goalkeeper had the ball against West Ham, John Stones urgently drove 20 yards back down the pitch to open up space to receive it.
City’s shape is like a flower coming into bloom and it relies on pace, quality and interchange of movement. All of these things have to click into place. When all of the cogs are moving together, that is when the magic happens.
You could argue that Guardiola has been too experimental this season and it is because he is not seeing the artistry that he wants. He wants to totally dominate the opposition.
When you are an artist like Guardiola it can take longer to achieve success than someone with a more pragmatic approach such as Antonio Conte.
City's flowing football was too much for West Ham as the visitors won 4-0 at in east London
His Juventus team went unbeaten in their first Serie A triumph, remained top from their second match the following season and set a record points total in the third year.
Conte’s track record and the quality of players at his disposal are a cocktail for success which is why Chelsea are on course for the title this season.
At City, the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together and we are seeing a glimpse of a promising future. It is healthy for the Premier League that Guardiola has not arrived in England and conquered all before him. If he does, it will be his greatest achievement.
ARSENAL HAVE NOT LEARNED THEIR LESSONS
Arsenal were far too complacent against Watford. What worries me about this group is that they are easily lured into a false sense of security after a good performance, such as their FA Cup win at Southampton.
You need to be insecure to win titles and expect the unexpected. This is not the first time Arsenal have lost a game like this and it shows they have not learned the lessons of previous seasons.
Arsenal were far too complacent against Watford in their shock defeat, says Martin Keown
PUT A LID ON IT, JOSE
Jose Mourinho is turning things around at Manchester United. They have a great chance of making the top four and could win two cups.
However, when he drops points it brings out a side of him we do not want to see.
The draw against Hull was United’s ninth of the season and his subsequent outburst was linked to his frustration with his team.
Mourinho may think that there are different rules for him but he doesn’t need to tell everybody. Someone working closely with him should help him to put a lid on it.
Jose Mourinho is turning things around at Manchester United but has regular media outbursts
LEICESTER ARE IN REAL DANGER
There is too much life in the teams below Leicester for them not to be seriously concerned.
Crystal Palace and Swansea are emerging, Hull are improving and Sunderland carved out a good result against Tottenham. Leicester are living legends but they do not want to be remembered as champions who were relegated. That is now a real possibility.
In 1998, Arsenal won the double and two of our players were World Cup winners with France but no heads got bigger as a result.
What we are seeing at Leicester is an example of how everything can come crashing down if people change once they have had a taste of success.
This is where Claudio Ranieri really earns his money. He needs to pull the dressing room together.
Leicester City's late defeat at Burnley means they are firmly in a battle against relegation
EVERGREEN CROUCH
Peter Crouch is an incredible journeyman who has always found a way to score goals.
Crouch is a different tool in the box — he is difficult to play against and his height is so intimidating for central defenders.
He does not take himself too seriously but still has a fierce determination to keep scoring and achieving.
Peter Crouch scored his 100th Premier League goal on Wednesday night for Stoke City
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