Manchester City, The Hope And Pride Of England

Manchester City remains the hope and pride of England, after making a historical qualification to their first ever champions league semifinal on a 3-2 aggregate against PSG. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were all in the race before they bowed out prematurely, leaving City to become the burden bearer of England despite never making it to the last four stage.  Bookmakers did not give Manchester City a chance to advance to the semifinal stage, going by their performance in the domestic league as they lost crucial and vital matches which made critics see their dream of getting to the semifinal stage a mirage. The quarterfinal encounter between City and PSG is arguably the most expensive quarterfinal match in this edition, a two-legged match backed by two oil-rich Arab business tycoons of Qatar and UAE respectively. The backing has attracted heavy spending by both clubs in the past few years in their bid to secure a semifinal ticket. It was not just about Manchester City qualifying, but the fact that England has a team in the semifinal stage should probably lubricate the ego of uefa in whatever decision to be made in allocating slot to England in next edition. No doubt, Manchester City have done England proud to have reached the semifinal, making England once again relevant in Europe's most prestigious football tournament, and they could also find their way to the final of the tournament if they remain focused and determined.