The big question, perhaps, was why this type of vigour hadn’t been seen in Manchester City earlier. Last Saturday, the defending champions seemed so energised by Chelsea’s 1-1 slip to Burnley that they immediately tore into Newcastle United, dismissing them 5-0. Afterwards, Vincent Kompany made some proclamations, but they weren’t necessarily all that persuasive, despite what had just happened.
“Our team has been proving our determination in recent years,” the City captain said. “That’s one thing when you look back on this team in the future you will never be able to say we did not have. We’ve always come back.”
Except, they didn’t come back to reclaim their title in 2012-13, and it remains hugely questionable whether they can haul in Chelsea to retain the league this season. Too often, it is as if they have needed external incidents to inspire that determination, that Manuel Pellegrini can’t generate the necessary motivation to defend the trophy from within.