What did it mean? Does it matter that a late Gabriel Jesus goal gave
Manchester City victory at Leicester? What does any of it mean? At least when we stand on the edge of the abyss and gaze into the void, wondering if there might be any purpose to any of it, football usually offers the consolation of the league table. We can cling to that, in its tallying of points find a point. And yet now with the shadow of City’s
Champions League ban, and a probable appeal against that, and the possibility of a
Premier League points deduction, although nobody seems to know for what season it might apply, the certainties of the table seem somewhat less secure.
If City’s ban is upheld without any delay for the appeal, fifth will be enough for Champions League qualification. Which is great news for Leicester, whose lead over Sheffield United in sixth is 10 points – even after a run of only three wins in 11 games. And it is not as though
Chelsea in fourth, whose win on Saturday was just their fifth in 15 games, are breathing particularly aggressively down their neck. And if the ban is upheld, what really have City left to play for, other than the indisputable income that comes with second place?