The game resumed swiftly after the goal celebrations died down. There was no time to dwell. No chance to savor the moment. Manchester City, rattled but not broken, reacted the way elite teams always do. They tightened their shape, upped their tempo, and returned to the fundamentals that had brought them trophies.
From the restart, the shift in energy was immediate. The ball began gliding across the pitch with City's trademark fluidity, moving from foot to foot like it was magnetized to their boots. Their players rotated in sync, always providing options, always stretching the pitch. Pep Guardiola's blueprint was unfolding in real time. Every pass had a purpose. Every movement created another inch of space.
