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MANCHESTER, England — The movement is so slick that it seems almost automatic, a machine whirring into life. In the best possible way, Manchester City’s players become thoughtless, operating on muscle memory. They do not need to pause, to think: they know.
Fernandinho has the ball, midway inside Arsenal’s half. To his left, Raheem Sterling makes a run, darting outside Stephan Lichtsteiner. Fernandinho does not need to look: he knows where Sterling is.
Now Sterling cushions the ball, perfectly, back to Ilkay Gundogan, a few yards behind him, but his work is not done.