When the world watched Pep Guardiola's former club Barcelona pull off a miracle at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night, the Spanish coach was forced to endure rather less memorable fare as he watched Manchester City play out a goalless draw against Stoke City at the Etihad.
It's only the second time City have drawn 0-0 since Guardiola took over in the summer and the seventh time they've failed to score in 42 games this season.
"Equating this game to epic events in Barcelona would be like comparing the Arndale Centre to the Sagrada Familia but this Premier League stalemate had its moments," says Henry Winter in The Times. The match will be remembered, he says, for little more than the performance of Ryan Shawcross who stood firm at the back to help Chelsea take another step towards the title.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
City could have cut the gap at the top of the table to eight points with victory, but the draw leaves them ten points adrift in third place, behind second-placed Spurs on goal difference.
"This was the game Uefa did not really want to go ahead for fear it may take attention away from the Champions League. No danger of that, as it turned out," says Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail. "There will be nobody who talks with any fondness of this game, apart from perhaps Stoke manager Mark Hughes.... For City and Guardiola, however, this was a night to forget and, if that proves impossible, then certainly to regret.
"Their title ambitions are not buried. Not quite," says Ladyman, but the result does little for their momentum. "After Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough and a Champions League second leg at Monaco next week, they face Liverpool at home. A tough spell of games now looks that bit tougher," he says.
City's match against Chelsea next month no longer has the look of a contest that will reopen the title race. If the league leaders don't slip up against lesser opposition they can afford to lose to both City and Man United and still canter to the Premier League.
-
How do new stadiums affect football clubs?In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
-
Liverpool's Anfield redemption: how did they do it?Talking Point Arne Slot's blueprint and standout player performances guide the Reds to record 20th league title
-
Where are all the English football managers?Talking Point Eddie Howe's Carabao Cup success underlines absence of homegrown coaching talent in the Premier League
-
New Trafford: can it fix Manchester United's footballing problems?Talking Point Plan for £2 billion stadium despite staff job losses and lack of success on the pitch
-
Thomas Tuchel to become next England football managerSpeed Read 'Divisive' German coach hopes to lead the men's team to victory
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran ErikssonIn Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
