While Manchester United celebrated their victory, their neighbors were licking their wounds.
Manchester City, stung by the end of their unbeaten run, took their frustration out on Watford.
It was a routine, dominant 3-1 victory at the Etihad.
Guardiola's machine hadn't broken; it had just stalled for a moment.
They remained right on United's heels, waiting like a predator for a single slip.
The rest of the "Big Six" kicked off the New Year with fireworks.
Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea: A chaotic London Derby at the Emirates.
Liverpool 2-1 Burnley: A gritty win for Klopp's men against a stubborn Burnley side.
Tottenham 2-0 Swansea: Spurs kept pace with the top four.
Burnley, despite their loss to Liverpool, were the surprise package of the season.
Under Sean Dyche, they had climbed to 7th place, surpassing the former champions Leicester City.
They were organized, tough, and notoriously difficult to break down.
...
FA Cup Third Round: January 6th
The magic of the FA Cup arrived at Old Trafford.
Manchester United vs. Derby County.
Mourinho treated the match with characteristic pragmatism.
He rotated the entire starting XI, handing debuts to several academy graduates. The media questioned if he was taking the competition seriously.
They got their answer on the pitch.
Even United's "B Team" was too strong for the Championship side.
Result: Manchester United 2-0 Derby County. Jesse Lingard scored a screamer, and Lukaku added a late second.
It was business as usual.
...
Premier League Matchday 23: January 15th
Manchester United vs. Stoke City
Monday Night Football returned to Old Trafford.
Ling, starting again, had a quiet evening.
The Stoke defenders marked him tightly, and his shooting boots seemed to have been left in the locker room.
Every effort he took was either blocked or saved by Jack Butland.
But great teams don't rely on one man.
Paul Pogba ran the show, dancing through the midfield to set up two goals. Romelu Lukaku, looking sharp after his rest, bullied the defense to score a one-on-one.
Result: Manchester United 3-0 Stoke City.
In the mixed zone after the match, reporters asked Ling about his goal drought.
He shrugged while smiling. "If I scored in every single match, I'd have the Golden Boot wrapped up by February, wouldn't I? As long as we win, I'm happy."
...
The Anfield Storm: January 14th
While United cruised, the game of the season was unfolding at Anfield.
Liverpool vs. Manchester City.
Perhaps United had shown the world that City could be bled. Now, Jurgen Klopp brought the heavy artillery to finish the job.
Other teams tried to park the bus against Pep. Klopp did the opposite. He unleashed "Heavy Metal Football."
"City can't breathe!" Martin Tyler shouted. "Liverpool are hunting in packs!"
City's possession game crumbled under the intense, frantic pressing of Mane, Salah, and Firmino.
It was 1-1 at halftime, but the second half was an explosion.
59th Minute: Firmino chipped Ederson.
61st Minute: Mane smashed one into the top corner.
68th Minute: Salah lobbed the keeper from 40 yards.
Three goals in nine minutes.
Anfield was shaking.
City looked shell-shocked. Van Dijk, the new £75m signing, marshaled the defense, cutting off counter-attacks before they began.
Although City scored two late consolation goals to make it 4-3, the damage was done.
@KloppSZN:WE ARE BACK! THE TITLE RACE IS WIDE OPEN!
@RedDevil:Thank you Liverpool! City have lost two in a row now (effectively). The wheels are falling off!
@TacticalTim:United provided the blueprint, but Liverpool perfected the execution. High press is the kryptonite to Pep-ball.
...
January 20th
Manchester United vs. Burnley
Old Trafford was buzzing.
City had lost. United were top. Stoke had been dispatched. Surely, Burnley at home was a formality?
But football is a cruel scriptwriter.
From the first whistle, something felt off. The ball moved slowly. The players looked heavy-legged.
United dominated possession.
They took 24 shots.
Ling hit the post. Pogba hit the crossbar. Mata had a shot cleared off the line.
Burnley's goalkeeper, Nick Pope, played the game of his life, saving everything that came his way.
Then, in the 65th minute, the sucker punch landed.
A rare Burnley free-kick. A scramble in the box. Ashley Barnes poked it home.
0-1.
United threw the kitchen sink at them for the last 20 minutes. Ling tried to dribble through the entire defense, but the "Claret Wall" stood firm.
Peep-peep-PEEP!
The final whistle blew.
The 44-match unbeaten home record—the chase for Arsenal's 'Invincibles' history—was over.
...
The silence in the home locker room was deafening.
Players sat with their heads in their hands. They had hoped to break records. They felt they had let the fans down.
"Heads up," Juan Mata said softly, breaking the silence.
The veteran Spaniard stood up. "Actually, this might be a good thing. Can't you feel it? The pressure? We were carrying that record like a backpack full of rocks. We were playing not to lose, instead of playing to win."
"Juan is right," Zlatan Ibrahimović boomed from his corner. "We are still top of the league. Now the record is gone. Who cares? Now we just play football with no fear."
The tension in the room evaporated.
Ling exhaled, realizing his shoulders had been tense for weeks.
He knew his career was a marathon, not a sprint.
You can't be a legend overnight.
...
The Press Conference
Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, sat with a gravelly, confident smile.
"How does it feel to conquer Old Trafford?" a reporter asked.
"It feels like three points," Dyche rasped. "We proved United aren't invincible. They bleed like everyone else. The title race? I don't care who wins it. But today, Burnley won."
In the United press room, the mood was somber.
"Jose, is this a crisis?"
Mourinho looked at the reporter with pity. "A crisis? We are top of the league. We lost one game where we hit the post twice. Luck was not with us. I don't make excuses. A loss is a loss. If the fans want to blame someone, blame me. Leave the players alone."
...
Back at Carrington the next morning, Mourinho gathered the squad in the lecture theater.
He didn't yell and he didn't even throw bottles.
"You know I never lie to you," Mourinho began, pacing the front of the room. "Honestly? Your performance yesterday wasn't bad. The football gods just decided you weren't winning."
"I have faced every kind of defeat in my career. Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Madrid. I have lost finals. I have been sacked."
He paused, looking at Ling, then Pogba, then Rashford.
"Let me tell you a story about Sir Alex Ferguson. The man who built this club."
"Years ago, when I was at Chelsea, we beat United 3-0 to win the title. It was a devastation for them. But do you know what Alex did? He didn't cry. He didn't blame the referee. He commanded his team to give us a Guard of Honor the next time we played."
"He swallowed the poison of defeat with dignity. And because he accepted the pain, he used it as fuel. Two years later? He snatched the title right back from my hands."
Mourinho pointed to his own chest. "The media thinks I am arrogant. The 'Special One.' That is a show for the cameras. But to my friends, to you... what I am most proud of is not my trophies. It is that when I am knocked down, I keep my rationality. I keep my courage."
"So," Mourinho smiled, a genuine, rare smile. "This is just a league defeat. It hurts, yes. But imagine if this was the Champions League Final? Or the World Cup Final? Then you would really be crying."
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