Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Burnley sets up a Hitchcock-esque title thriller

Another eventful day in the Premier League, Chelsea deciding that Liam Rosenior wasn’t the new messiah after all. They gave him a whole 106 days to turn things around, but it wasn’t to be. Not helped by players lusting for a move to Madrid or pining for the last gaffer, mind. And a squad of wastrels being paid an exorbitant amount of loot for being useless and rarely breaking in to a sweat.

But no goals in five consecutive defeats didn’t strengthen Rosenior’s case, no efforts on target against Brighton not helping much either. They had an xG tally of 0.04 during the game, which is beyond the comprehension of this mathematically-challenged couch, but that sounds quite low. All of which led to every Chelsea supporter on earth receiving that jest on Tuesday night about Fifa giving them their next peace prize for refusing to shoot. The old ones, eh?

“We think Rosenior can be successful long-term,” co-owner Behdad Eghbali had said a week before giving the lad his P45. But sure, you know what they say about votes of confidence.

“What a mess,” said Sky’s Mark Chapman. “A massive mess,” Gary Neville sighed, reckoning Rosenior was well out of it, but hoping he’d recover from the trauma from ever having had a brush with that club. “A shambles from the owners, they haven’t a clue what they’re doing,” he said. By now, he suggested, “the only people at Chelsea who know how to win are the fans.” This is true.

The Sky crew were on duty at Turf Moor for Burnley’s meeting with Manchester City, the latter outfit managed by a fella who was on day 3,539 of his reign since his first game in charge of the club.

Winning six Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups has helped Pep Guardiola cling on to his post, much of that time spent tormenting Arsenal.

“This is a fascinating stat,” said Mark: since Mikel Arteta was appointed manager, Arsenal have spent 539 days on top of the Premier League table, compared to 453 for City. Titles won? Arsenal 0, City 4. “They know how to finish,” Izzy Christiansen chuckled. Micah Richards purred.

And after their win over Arsenal on Sunday, it’s looking like they’ll torment them all over again. Sky hardly helped lift Arteta & Co’s mood by opening their coverage with a montage from that game, complete with images of City players celebrating like they have a hand and half on the trophy. Which they probably do.

Sensible Arsenal fans would, of course, have avoided tuning in, turning instead, perhaps, to Sky Arts which was dedicating its night to Alfred Hitchcock. Although they might have found that Psycho shower scene a bit too familiar, just when you think you’re home and hosed, along comes a monster to take the wind out of your sails.

Not to call City monstrous, or anything, but this bullying of Arsenal needs to stop. “Arsenal have been top for 200 days, City can go top for the first time since August,” Mark told us, and just to add to it all, Burnley’s relegation would be confirmed on the night if they were to lose.

(Although a less than bullish Burnley-supporting associate told us yesterday that the club’s relegation was inevitable once they won promotion from the Championship. That’s what you call a lack of faith.)

The title race could, of course, yet come down to goal difference, and Micah, while not wanting to sound too cocky, had a feeling in his bones that, in so many words, City would put up a cricket-ish score against Burnley. The stat Sky popped up on their screen suggested as much: “Manchester City have won their last 14 meetings with Burnley by a combined score of 51-3.” And Pep is probably still thinking about the three.

A meaty win seemed highly likely when the Haaland man scored after just the five minutes, but ... You could have downed us with a feather, there ended the scoring. The upshot? City and Arsenal on 70 points, and level on goal difference. Burnley gone, Arsenal not yet. There could be a Hitchcock-esque twist to this thriller yet.

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