The 2020-21 European club football season came to its conclusion on Saturday with the Champions League final at Porto's Estádio do Dragão. Chelsea claimed the second Champions League title in club history by beating the favoured Manchester City 1-0. Kai Havertz scored the goal which will forever write his name into the Stamford Bridge history books.
Though some might already have forgotten, the seeds of Chelsea's victory were planted in their league match against City on May 8. In that match, Chelsea emerged victorious by a scoreline of 2-1. However, a key incident in that encounter occurred when Sergio Agüero stepped forward to take a penalty after Billy Gilmour fouled Gabriel Jesus in the penalty area.
Agüero attempted a Panenka penalty which was easily saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Although the Argentine missed his penalty, he sent a loud and clear message to Chelsea: City did not consider the Blues worthy of their respect.
The Panenka, regardless of its outcome, is one of the most obvious methods by which a player or team can taunt an opponent. The message it sends is clear: "we do not take you seriously". Unfortunately for Agüero and City, Chelsea were not about to roll over and accept this insult.
Anyone who watched the Champions League final could tell that Chelsea simply "wanted it more" than City did. The London club's grit, determination, and desire for victory stood in clear contrast to the Citizens' somewhat lackadaisical, entitled attitude. It felt as though City just assumed that they could just show up and leave with the victory.
Had Agüero never attempted the Panenka in the first place, Chelsea might not have been quite as motivated to win as they were. As it turned out, that incident was exactly the push that Chelsea needed to raise their game when the stakes were at their highest.
City's general level of play in the highest-pressure matches must also surely be called into question. This is a team which has clearly revealed itself to be nothing more than a front-runner of the highest order, especially in the Champions League. Over the past six seasons, City have lost in the quarterfinals three times, in the semifinals once, and now, in the final once.
It only gets worse when one considers the fact that for five seasons in a row, City have been eliminated at the hands of a team against which they had been favoured. Considering the enormous amount of money which City have spent over this period, this is an extremely bad look for them.
At this point, the question has to be asked: where do City go from here? It is looking increasingly as though they have reached their peak. On paper, this City team seems to have all the elements for success in place. In Kevin De Bruyne, they have a perennial Ballon d'Or contender who can be the foundational piece of a team that could win multiple Champions Leagues. The Belgian is a passer and playmaker of a calibre that fewer than 10 - and arguably five - players have ever been.
City have the supporting cast as well. Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Ederson, İlkay Gündoğan, Rúben Dias, Rodri, Raheem Sterling - this is a team loaded to the brim with talent. They are even coached by Pep Guardiola who is unquestionably a top-10 coach of all time. However, their failures when the lights have been brightest and the pressure at its highest speak for themselves. Agüero's Panenka incident was just the latest manifestation of City's shortcomings as far as mentality is concerned.
City have the talent, the strategy, and of course, the money. To their credit, they have obtained the desired results domestically: three Premier League titles and an FA Cup over the past four seasons speak for themselves.
However, as far as the biggest prize in European club football is concerned, City might just have blown their biggest chance for many years to come.
There are some things which money cannot buy. These are what are sometimes referred to as "the intangibles". It is these intangibles which turn talent into results. For all of Manchester City's wealth, they are genuinely lacking in this most critical of areas - a fact which was shown to the world on the biggest stage of all.
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