Table of Contents
Manchester City’s domination of English football has become so complete that winning a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title now feels almost routine.
Going into the final game of the season ahead for the sixth time in seven years, City only needed a win over West Ham United to clinch the title again – and they did just that.
Join our Telegram Channel for Updates
Pep Guardiola’s team has proven once more that they are the dominant force in the Premier League. They seem immune to pressure, and their record-breaking achievements are now expected rather than surprising. The real shock would have been if they had failed to win.
It’s not quite accurate to say City’s success is met with indifference, but their incredible run of 19 wins and four draws in 23 league games since losing to Aston Villa in December hasn’t surprised many.
However, there’s an important issue to address: City still faces 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial irregularities, which the club strongly denies. It has been 15 months since these charges were made. Until a verdict is reached, City will always be under suspicion every time they win a trophy.
From a football perspective, there are no arguments. City is unrivaled. Liverpool managed to beat them in the 2019-20 season, winning the title by an 18-point margin. But in other seasons, Liverpool and more recently Arsenal have come close but couldn’t dethrone City.
City’s typical end-of-season surge, which has dashed the hopes of Liverpool and Arsenal, is now almost a matter of muscle memory. They have twice denied Liverpool on the final day, including a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa in 2021-22 and win the title by a single point.
Under Guardiola, City has perfected this winning habit, established by Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini in earlier seasons. Their team is filled with world-class talent, from the goal-scoring prowess of Erling Haaland to the creative brilliance of Kevin de Bruyne, and now Phil Foden, who scored 27 goals from midfield this season.
Despite injuries to key players like De Bruyne and Haaland, City always had strong backups. Josko Gvardiol was signed from RB Leipzig and has excelled as a left-back, scoring crucial goals. Backup goalkeeper Stefan Ortega also played a key role, making vital saves like the one against Tottenham that helped secure the title.
City’s 2023 signings, like Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes, have yet to fully flourish, but the team still emerged as champions. Their ability to handle pressure and push their rivals to the brink is unmatched.
In the 2018-19 season, City won 14 straight games to edge out Liverpool, who got 97 points but still fell short. Similar resilience was shown in the 2021-22 season. This season, Arsenal fell short after losing to Aston Villa late in the race. City, given any opportunity, capitalizes fully.
Guardiola’s team combines immense talent with mental toughness, making them unbeatable when it matters most. For Arsenal and Liverpool, City’s relentless pursuit of trophies is bad news. Their hunger for success remains as strong as ever, and they could achieve another league and FA Cup double if they beat Manchester United in the final at Wembley.
Even though City couldn’t repeat last season’s Treble of the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup, this season has confirmed their status as the dominant force in English football.
