City kick off 2025 with more beast than beauty but three valuable points

City kick off 2025 with more beast than beauty but three valuable points

Johannes Hoff Thorup expressed his gratitude by saying that, from a coaching standpoint, such victories are just as

satisfying as, if not more so than, a smooth, elegant 5-0 victory at home.

It’s difficult to challenge as usual, especially considering City’s recent lacklustre away record. Luton (a) is the kind of

fixture where we have a bad habit of wilting under stress, both mental and physical.

However, they didn’t yesterday. They stood tall with their chests puffed out.

The aggressive locals who sat within a few feet of the playing field in the grandstand and the physical assault on the

field were both in direct opposition to the mindset.

And it was what prevailed at Kenilworth Road yesterday—not any tactical prowess or talent. An nearly flawless start

to the New Year was enhanced by the fact that we also received the less-spotted clean sheet, which is necessary if the

away form is to improve.

Let me tell you the truth. I didn’t have high expectations. Readers of my match preview will have noticed from its

tone that I was apprehensive for all of the above-mentioned reasons.

In addition to City’s recent road shortcomings, Luton’s home record has been their strength, and I was having

trouble making a strong argument for a City victory. So I’m being cautious.

I also predicted a slug-fest, which is how the second half developed, but to be fair to JHT’s men, they succeeded in

getting the ball down and passing it more in the first half than I predicted.

At times, the ball was shifted nicely and only in the final third when precision was needed did the cracks appear.

Emiliano Marcondes, Borja Sainz, and Ante Crnac all went close and, as the Sky commentary team were forced to

admit, City were ahead on points at the break even if they weren’t on goals.

The second half however was far more Luton-like and was what I had expected.

The Hatters’ energy levels were higher, space for Kenny McLean and co was virtually non-existent, and the balls

delivered into City’s box came in earlier and with more menace. In doing so, Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo

became factors, unlike in the first half, and it turned into the predicted slug-fest.

For almost half an hour it was ugliness personified, and with no discernable passing rhythm, City struggled to get

out. It felt like a matter of when, not if, City would concede and the Sky Sports’ summariser (still not sure who it was

– anybody?) described the Canaries as ‘gone’.

And he had a point. Passes were going astray. 50/50s were being lost and there was a sense of inevitability about

what would come next. Ever more when Tahith Chong crashed one against the underside of Angus’s crossbar.

But the barrier wasn’t breached.

Shane Duffy found himself back in his comfort zone. Body on the line; headers there to be won; physical duels

against two brutes who thrive on said battles; and a never-say-die attitude that saw him lead from the front.

Those beside him bought into it. Angus had the type of afternoon that he and we needed, and even if the passing was

nonexistent, the dirty stuff was being done and done well.

And just when the mother of all Bedfordshire storms had been weathered, the moment of quality that City so

desperately needed.

There didn’t look too much on when Marcelino Nunez picked up the ball midway in the Luton half on the half-turn,

but with his confidence sky-high from the equaliser against QPR, our favourite Chilean drove into the space before

whistling one past a blind-sided Thomas Kaminski.

The dynamic of the game changed in that instant, with City spurning several chances to bury it once and for all.

Ashley Barnes was the main culprit but a general lack of care when making the final pass saw several good

opportunities go to waste.

In the end, it needed some more defensive heroics and a fine last-second save from Angus to see the job through, but

see it through they did.

And amid it all, there were some really good performances aside from those already mentioned. Ante Crnac, initially

handed the number 9 role as part of the reshuffle following Anis Ben Slimane’s injury, had surely his best outing yet

in a City shirt.

At last, we are seeing more than just hints of what initially caught City’s attention about him.

However, this was not a personal matter. It was about guts and about the collective. And they succeeded.

This was not the typical Hoffball. It wasn’t even Hoff-ball in the second half. However, we prevailed, and it was

championship fayre at its best.

There will likely be more days like this in addition to days with more exquisite football, and perhaps that is all a part

of JHT’s own growing process.

However, it was a victory on New Year’s Day, which is not commonly seen by City fans. Additionally, it was a tribute

to the enduring faithful whose volume on the road

You people deserved it. It was of you.

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