Manchester City Fan View: 'Typical City' make unwelcome return

Manchester City have put us through a lot over the years. Relegations, promotions and immediate relegations; Three stoppage-time derby defeats in one season; a cup final defeat to lowly Wigan, who would be relegated that same week. By that same token, we’ve seen a relative glut of trophies since 2011, the most dramatic title win in Premier League history and humiliated Manchester United a few times along the way.

For City, ups-and-downs are part of the fabric of the club. Or, rather, it’s downs-and-ups-and-downs-again.

If, somehow, anybody is reading this that doesn’t know what happened on Saturday, here’s a painful recap. Pep Guardiola’s City side needed just one more win to wrap up a record breaking Premier League title, and the stars aligned to allow that to happen against deadly rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

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IN PICTURES: Manchester City v Manchester United

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At half-time, City led 2-0. It is not an exaggeration to say the game should have been out of sight at that point. Once the first goal had gone in, headed in by captain Vincent Kompany, it was an onslaught. Somehow, for reasons I’ll never understand, United came back to score three goals in the second half and leave with the three points.

This might be the most Manchester City thing to have ever happened. When the Blues were leading the Etihad was bouncing like never before. The dream scenario was playing out; not only were City mid-coronation as Kings of England, but they were humiliating United in the process – it was too perfect.

The second half hurt more than a football game has hurt for a long time. From delirious celebration to the pain of missing out on something that will almost certainly never occur again.

There’s an old phrase attached to the club that supporters used to use all the time, but have had less cause to wheel out in recent years. The phrase is “Typical City” and it describes that cups-for-cock-ups ability to snatch despair from the jaws of elation. It’s the knowledge that if something feels too good to be true then it is, and the team will prove it in the most absurd way possible.

Every football supporter is inclined to think their team is the most stressful to follow. Every football fan has, at some point, said “We always do it the hard way.” On Saturday, City showed their uniqueness in that regard – they’ve done this season the easy way and yet, somehow, at it’s absolute pinnacle they made it look hard.

In the cold light of day, the fact is that City will still win the league at an absolute canter. Jose Mourinho acknowledged as much in an unusually magnanimous post-match press conference. Leaving the Etihad on Saturday, the fear was that this week will tarnish the memory of this season. Let’s not forget City also lost a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool on Wednesday and are now heavy favourites to drop out of the competition.

That feeling will clear. When the title is sealed it will still feel special. It will still feel wonderful watching them lift the trophy against Huddersfield in May. This will still be the best season in the history of this ridiculous football club. I dare say that in years to come, when we recount this tale to future generations, we’ll do so almost affectionately, with a tut and rueful shake of the head thinking about how perfect it could have been.

Typical City made a most unwelcome return this weekend. It was like seeing an old acquaintance whose company is familiar but just serves as a reminder that you never really cared for them anyway. The undeniable truth is that the result was a painful one. Ultimately, though, this was one battle; The loss of it merely delayed the winning of the war.