Outclassed, shell-shocked, and a brutal reminder of where Manchester City stands on the current European stage. That is what Wednesday's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain was. For City fans, it was ugly. For everyone else, it was something redemptive.
City has had better days and will have better days in the future. Wednesday was only the club's first loss of the season in sanctioned competition. PSG was just far better, just as they have been far better against everyone in CL play over the last two-plus seasons.
The Blues also aren't out of the running for the Champions League trophy, as this was just one loss, and PSG might be the best club they face. There should still be hope, but just not on Wednesday.
One non-Manchester City winner and multiple losers from the PSG beatdown
Winner (unfortunately): Fans of every other Premier League team
After City's alleged cheating (which is very much under appeal), the club has zero fans anywhere else but those who already followed the Blues. After Paris Saint-Germain's throttling of Man City, fans of other clubs were likely celebrating. City can have payback in league play, though.
Winner: Erling Haaland
The second half belonged to the Norwegian. His club wasn't going to win, but he didn't quit. He scored two goals and made the score a respectable 4-2. His team wasn't better, but he was the best player on the pitch.
Loser: Gianluigi Donnarumma
In the 13th minute, after an exceedingly close own goal by PSG, Man City appeared to try to press; PSG used exquisite teamwork to move the ball up the pitch. The issue was that from outside the box, PSG's Doué scored a far too easy goal when City's keeper guessed far too early.
It wasn't the kind of play that a world-class keeper should make. Unfortunately, two minutes later, PSG scored again. The keeper wasn't done, though. After City had reduced the score to 3-1, Akliouche kicked toward goal, and Donnarumma hit it high in the air, only for the ball to land behind him for a goal.
Loser: Enzo Maresca
What Maresca could have done differently is up for debate, of course, and the answer might be nothing. PSG was just better -- a lot better -- but Maresca suffered his first loss in a real match as City's manager, ending a seven-match win streak. To make matters worse, the first loss came in the first match at home after the club was found guilty of breaching financial fair play rules.
Loser: Antoine Semenyo
Against lesser clubs, which is nearly every other one except the elites like PSG, Semenyo can use his size and speed to overpower those who would try to stop him. Mostly against PSG, he looked slow and sloppy, dispossessed too many times. The ultimate problem was that Semenyo was just the prime example of everyone else playing for Manchester City.
Loser: Rayan Cherki
In the opening half, with the score still 2-0 and City barely holding on to any hope, PSG possessed the ball once again deep on City's side of the pitch, but Rayan Cherki decided not to track back, which left Vitinha with a lot of space to unload from just outside the box for a relatively easy score.
The goal was the perfect example of how outplayed and outexecuted Man City was when the match still somewhat hung in the balance. Cherki was rightfully substituted to begin the second half.
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