To put this result into some context, it was the first time in the Premier League since April last year that Manchester City had failed to score at the Etihad Stadium and only the second occasion in 42 league matches dating back to last season that the runaway champions have not found the net.
It was not even as if Huddersfield Town rode their luck either. From start to finish, they were magnificent, disrupting City’s usual fluency, stifling their opponent’s attacking threat and creating opportunities of their own. As the game entered stoppage time, it was actually David Wagner’s side who had the best chance to win it.
Scott Malone must have had stars in his eyes when the substitute dispossessed Bernardo Silva, hurtled 25 yards upfield and then launched a shot at Ederson that the City goalkeeper batted away before Kyle Walker headed the rebound into his hands.
“We don’t like to be too greedy but it was possible to win the game at the end. That is the truth,” Wagner said.
Victory would have guaranteed Huddersfield’s survival. As it stands, they are not safe quite yet but this could prove an invaluable point in their valiant battle against relegation. With Chelsea to play at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday followed by the visit of Arsenal on the final day, Huddersfield’s run-in is treacherous but they navigated arguably the toughest hurdle with a spirit, unity and composure that underlined just how far they have come under Wagner, despite having the division’s smallest budget.
Huddersfield are now three points clear of Southampton and Swansea, who meet on Tuesday. Only Crystal Palace before them had stopped City from scoring in the league this season – and that was at Selhurst Park – and you had to go as far back as April 27 last year, when Manchester United held City to a goalless draw, to find the last time Pep Guardiola’s side failed to score at the Etihad in the competition.
It was just a shame the Huddersfield players were denied the opportunity to celebrate in front of their travelling fans at the final whistle after a pitch invasion from City supporters for the second successive home game. There were two parties going on here in effect, one involving City, who were finally presented with the Premier League trophy they won three weeks ago, and another with the Huddersfield fans, who can almost taste survival.
“We were able to more or less neutralise them in the danger areas, especially in the second half,” Wagner said. “We also had opportunities. This was not a stolen point, but a deserved point, against the champions, who had scored more than 100 goals. We kept a clean sheet and that says enough about the effort and achievement the players had.
"I am proud, over the moon, for the dressing room and all the supporters that we were able to collect this very valuable point. Everyone who supports Huddersfield Town knows that the impossible is possible. This looked impossible before kick-off but the players have done it and made the impossible, possible.”
With the sun beating down on a slick, heavily watered pitch, a jubilant home crowd in full party mode and Guardiola resisting any temptation to play a weakened team, these were hardly optimum conditions for a Huddersfield side seeking somehow to bridge one of the biggest divides in the top flight.
If Wagner’s men have proven anything this season, though, it is that they are up for a fight. They are not easily cowed, they are very well organised and they work bloody hard for each other. All those qualities were in evidence as they frustrated City, defending doggedly in numbers, but there was no shortage of ambition and they crafted several attacks of note.
Two, in particular, could have yielded goals in the first half. In the 11th minute, Florent Hadergjonaj zipped on to Aaron Mooy’s clever, disguised free-kick only for the midfielder to shoot disappointingly straight at Ederson. Chris Lowe then squandered a similarly good chance to score when he blazed a wild shot wide after being played in by the wily Mooy, whom Huddersfield had signed from City.
City had their moments but, by their high standards, this was an off day. Kevin De Bruyne shot narrowly wide and also tested Jonas Lossl with a thundering drive. But, beyond Christopher Schindler clearing off his goalline after Lossl punched Leroy Sane’s corner against an unwitting Steve Mounie, it was hard to recall City creating any meaningful opportunities after the interval.
Then came Malone’s shot at immortality. It was not to be but replicate this performance against Chelsea and Arsenal and Huddersfield will almost certainly be playing Premier League football again next season.
source https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/05/06/manchester-city-vs-huddersfield-town-premier-league-live/
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