Manchester Metropolis' ability to win the Leading League title has not been as strong all season.
Wednesday's victory 1: at Brentford and a Chelsea goal conceded after the break for a draw 1:1 against Brighton, they left the defending champion with an eight-point lead going into the new year.
It was almost perfect for City 24 hours, in which Liverpool - another title rival - surprisingly lost on Tuesday 1: in injured Leicester. Chelsea moved a point ahead of third-placed Liverpool ahead of Sunday's meeting at Stamford Bridge, when at least one of the teams loses physique.
Liverpool have a game in hand, but will soon lose star strikers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the Africa Cup of Nations.
City didn't perform at their best against Brentford _ Pep Guardiola's team went into the game after that, what he scored in the last three games 17 goals _, but still he did enough for it, to get 10. back-to-back league wins.
“Neuverím ti, when you say, that it's already done,” povedal Guardiola. It's still being played 54 points.
However, Town wins even then, when he's not playing his best.
The only goal was taken care of by 16. minute Phil Foden, who deflected Kevin De Bruyne's heart into the net from close range. Movie review showed, that Foden was right there, when he applied the finish.
It was the perfect way for Foden, how to credit his return to the starting line-up alongside Jack Grealish after that, which both strikers were relegated to the bench for disciplinary reasons in City's last two matches.
“Okolo Vianoc musíte držať nohu na plyne a sústrediť sa,” povedal Foden. “Tento tím to robí.”
Metropolis closed the calendar year, in which the team created records of the highest competition in England, in terms of most wins (36) and most away wins (19), while its sum 113 goals is also a Premier League record.
CHELSEA REJECTED
It's three draws in four league games for Chelsea, whose strong early season form has faded.
Danny Welbeck earned Brighton a deserved point thanks to the visitors' second-half display, when in the first minute of added time he crossed from Marco Cucurella's cross.
Romelu Lukaku scored for the second game in a row and in 28. minute he put Chelsea in front.
For Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, the sight of right-back Reece James was even worse, who limped off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury. Chelsea also had to replace another defender, Andreas Christensen, with a back injury at half-time.
Tuchel sounded, as if he had given up on winning the title, given the number of his players, who dropped out due to injury and illness.
“Ako by sme v tom mali byť?” povedal. "We have seven cases of COVID. We have five or six players out for six or more weeks. How we should compete for the title?
“Everybody, who has a complete squad, everyone in training has full strength to go through this league. We would be stupid, if we thought, that we can make it through the COVID and the injuries and just play."