Grealish Completes Comeback After Early Scare for Champions
Just above the goal at the Domino’s Oak Stand at Luton, above the advert for Noble Solicitors and below the scoreboard, is a blue sign on which is written in white: “History is Made in Luton.” Which, frankly, at kick-off seemed an improbable, almost inexplicable, claim. As it did by the final whistle. But for about half an hour between Elijah Adebayo giving Luton the lead and Bernardo Silva equalising, it did seem Kenilworth Road might be witnessing something very significant indeed.
It was 25 years since City had last played at Kenilworth Road, when both sides were in the third tier and a back-post header from the current coach of Sri Lanka, Andy Morrison, was cancelled out by a Gary Doherty bullet. Even then the old ground felt like a throwback and on Sunday even the weather had a heritage feel: a stiff breeze ensured that the gobbets of thick rain had yielded by kick-off to a sky of chilly blue, but intermittent showers persisted through the afternoon.
Without City being anywhere near their fluent best, the first half had felt like an exercise in waiting for them to score. Thomas Kaminski has probably been their best player so far this season and the Belgian keeper excelled again, making a couple of saves from Phil Foden and a more spectacular but probably less technically good one-handed save from Rodri. Álvarez poked a near-post effort tamely wide from a Jack Grealish cross.
It was all a bit bitty, a bit winter afternoon in Luton – which of course it was, but it’s been the great strength of Guardiola over the years that his sides can make any setting feel like a balmy evening at the Camp Nou. There were a surprising number of long-range shots, at least one of them from Kyle Walker, which is never a good sign. It was not a good day for those who would have players calculate the xG before essaying any attempt on goal.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, the unthinkable. Luton’s threat had been limited, but then Andros Townsend suddenly found a little space on the right. His ball to the back post was perfect and Adebayo rose above Rúben Dias to nod the ball in from close range. Could this be it, an unexpected defeat, the first time Guardiola had ever gone five league games without a win, a first loss for Rodri since Scotland beat Spain in March?
The answer came swiftly: no, on all counts. Kaminski had already made a remarkable reflex save to tip a Rodri snap-shot against the bar when Bernardo Silva bent in the equaliser just after the hour and within three minutes Grealish had scuffed a finish between Kaminski’s legs as Teden Mengi seemingly suffered a bout of cramp as he tried to deal with Álvarez’s cross.
And so history was not made in Luton, not today, but what did come into being, perhaps, was a renewed sense of resilience for the champions.