With 20 minutes left of Manchester City’s penultimate game of the season against Leicester City, Liverpool were as close as they have ever been to the Premier League title. The Citizens were being held at 0-0, and a draw would have left the Reds one point clear going into the last game of the campaign. After 29 years, the end of the drought was in sight.
And then up stepped Vincent Kompany, Mr. Manchester City himself. From 25 yards out, the Belgian let rip on his right foot. As the ball flew into the top corner, Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel had no chance. It was a breathtaking goal from the most unexpected of sources.
In terms of the title race, it was one of the most important goals of the whole campaign. Against the Foxes, the tension in and around the Etihad Stadium was clear for all to see. Everyone knew exactly what was on the line. With both sides playing beatable opposition in their respective final matches of the season, City could not afford to slip up. Fortunately for them, they didn’t.
With the abundance of top quality talent at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, it was a shock that such a strike came from a centre-back. The former Barcelona manager said after the game that he was pleading with his captain not to shoot – according to the Panini Tabloid, he warned from the touchline “No shoot Vinne, no shoot!” – it’s a good job for him that Kompany chose to trust his gut.
Manchester City are one of the best teams on the planet, and a lot of that is down to the Spaniard. His intricate system has taken him to the top in his homeland, Germany and now the Premier League. But sometimes, no matter how fitting the formation and how polished the philosophy, a piece of individual brilliance is needed to make the difference.
Kompany is not even a regular shooter. That staggering strike was one of just five efforts at goal he attempted during the whole term in the league, and only one of two from outside the area. From one side, you could argue that this is because he knows his limitations. He can leave the goalscoring to likes of Sergio Aguero or Raheem Sterling, who netted 57 times between them last season. From the perspective of a football romantic, however, maybe he was just saving the sublime for the perfect moment.
Whether that is the case or not, it was a fitting end to his marvellous career in Manchester. Since his arrival in 2008, the former Hamburg man has been a key part of the City revolution. It is hard to imagine the club being as successful as they have been without Kompany at the heart of their defence and being a leader in the dressing room. He was, after all, named captain at the start of the 2011/12 season, which would end with City’s first ever Premier League title.
As he now returns to Anderlecht to take up a player-manager role, he can take solace in knowing that his strike against Leicester was not only one of the defining moments of a wonderful season, but also the perfect send-off.
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