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1. But there’s still a long way to go.
The only reason why United have not been given enough credit for their improvement this term is because of their ‘noisy neighbors’ who have overshadowed them at every step of the way, so far. Simply put, if United have been good, then Manchester City have been great. And to be honest, this has been the case even before the season started with Pep Guardiola investing heavily in his squad so as to ensure he has a side capable of competing for the title in every competition that City find themselves in. While many found Guardiola’s spending spree during the summer absurd all their doubts must surely have been put to bed after watching City play the way they have done this season.
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On the other hand, while Mourinho did manage to sign his primary transfer targets during the summer in the form of Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, the lack of depth in United’s squad as compared to City’s is evidently hurting the 20-time Premier League champions. And as a direct consequence of this, United have been found guilty of not having a ‘Plan B’ when the likes of Lukaku and Pogba have a bad game. Meanwhile, City have studded their squad with match-winners all across the pitch with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling all rising to the occasion on a consistent basis for City, at least individually, if not as a whole this season.
Finally, while United might have been the traditional trendsetters in the Premier League, this season, they have been forced to follow in the footsteps of their despised neighbors. And with City raising the bar with each passing performance, United can only try to follow in their footsteps as best as they can and for as long as they possibly can. For whether United like it or not, City’s performances thus far are proof of the fact that, for all their improvement over the last two seasons, United still have a long road to glory ahead of them.
