Al Hilal stun Manchester City: What this means for Saudi football and Pep Guardiola’s men

It feels an age ago when China splurged what seemed limitless amounts of money into their Super League. Players like Hulk and Oscar bewitched by promises of money and being part of this project to bring Chinese football on par with Europe. There were many parallels between what Saudi Arabia are doing now and what China was doing all those years ago, whispers that the same fate of the Chinese Super League would befall the Saudi Pro League. Yet the Club World Cup has become proof the Saudi project has vastly outdone its Chinese counterpart.

This game will prove crucial to the development of football in Saudi Arabia

Manchester City’s 4-3 loss to Al Hilal by no means signifies that Saudi Arabia have bridged the gap into the European elite, but it does serve in proving those who claim it to be nothing more than a league filled with veteran players seeing out the twilight of their careers bathed in Saudi sunlight and money wrong. It serves in establishing Saudi Arabian teams as a competitive outlet who can compete with some of the best in Europe, and perhaps most importantly proves to the owners that they were right in investing all this money into their teams. This game and the rest of Al-Hilal’s run will prove crucial to the development of football in Saudi Arabia.

The game itself was an exciting goal-heavy action-packed affair that City fans have become accustomed to in their Club World Cup campaign. Bernardo Silva opened the scoring after a hint of a handball from Ait-Nouri was quickly waved away by the referee. Marcos Leonardo responded just after the break for Al-Hilal. A weaving run from Malcom saw him play it outside to Cancelo, pandemonium ensued as City failed to clear their lines, and Leonardo found himself in the right place at the right time to slot the ball home. Joao Cancelo, who for so long was City’s creative talisman on the left, played through a delectable ball to Malcom on the break to put Al-Hilal 2-1 up.

This lead lasted all of 180 seconds, however, with Haaland’s physical dominance seeing him get to the ball first after a rebound from a corner and smashing it home.

There will be some quiet worry over some of the defensive fragilities on display

The first half of extra time started with the same explosiveness as that of the second, Koulibaly heading Al-Hilal back in front in the 94th minute. Al-Hilal seemed to be holding resolute, and it would require something special to break their defensive outlet. Enter Cherki, City’s summer signing from Lyon. There were always questions of how exactly De Bruyne would be replaced, and whilst Cherki is a distinctive style of player, there was something decidedly De Bruyne-esque about his pinpoint ball to Foden. Foden’s delicate touch past the keeper shows all the poise of a revitalised Foden looking to put last season’s poor form behind him.

For all the brilliance of the goal it was to be no matter, as Al-Hilal found a winner. Leonardo will not care how scrappy his brace was as it hands Al-Hilal a major victory in the competition.

But what does this result mean for Manchester City? Pep Guardiola’s post-match interview describing the loss as a ‘pity’ but that his players needed rest is certainly telling. In a week where Klopp has labelled the Club World Cup as the “worst thing ever implemented in football”, and Guardiola saying Klopp’s critiques are merited, it does seem as though the City manager will not lose too much sleep after their early exit. There will be some quiet worry over some of the defensive fragilities on display that seemed to have leaked through from last season but that will all be addressed in preseason. For now, the loss to Al-Hilal is really a blessing in disguise as Guardiola and his men can fully focus on the gruelling campaign ahead.