London: On they go, refusing even to the consider the possibility of lowering their untouchable standards. Manchester City were at their elegant best against West Ham and the way they have performed since being confirmed as champions a fortnight ago must bode well for next season’s title defence.
Nobody has successfully defended the trophy since Manchester United won three in a row a decade ago, but City seem to be developing the killer mentality that allowed Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams to rule English football for so long. Good teams win one trophy.
But the great sides leave lasting legacies and Pep Guardiola’s quest for perfection means there is unlikely to be a repeat of the slumps City experienced after their titles in 2012 and 2014.
“We didn’t celebrate the moment we were champions,” City’s manager said. “We celebrated over 10 months. Just being happy when you lift a title makes no sense.”
Elsewhere, Christian Benteke will meet the Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish at the end of the season to discuss his future after a difficult campaign at Selhurst Park.
The Belgium striker, a club record 27 million pounds signing, was ushered forward by his teammates and coaching staff to convert a stoppage-time penalty in the 5-0 thrashing of Leicester City on Saturday, which should ensure top-flight survival, and register a first home goal in almost a year.
“I’ve been through hard times this season — it’s the first time since coming to England where I haven’t scored like I wanted to — so I thought: ‘It won’t get worse, just go and take it,’” he said. “I’m under contract until 2020, I want to stay here, and I’m going to speak to the chairman and the club about what they want to do with me. Every end of the season you have to speak, to see the plan for the next season.”
Darren Moore has taken eight points from four games since succeeding Alan Pardew. Although he almost certainly became caretaker too late to rescue West Brom from relegation, Ben Foster is impressed. “Darren’s brought unity back to the team,” the Albion goalkeeper said. “He’s got us working for each other, it’s about respecting your teammates.”
The Black Country consensus is that Moore will not get the job next season but Foster hopes he might. “I’d like him as manager. He’s dead honest.”
As Newcastle’s Jonjo Shelvey watches his hopes of a late England World Cup call wane, Albion’s Jake Livermore’s own claims for inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Russia are waxing. Newcastle’s Islam Slimani, meanwhile, borrowed from Leicester City, could face a retrospective three-game ban for a petulant kick on Craig Dawson.
