Manchester City lifted a historic fourth Premier League title in a row, their sixth under Pep Guardiola. Here is where they won the chase.
Pep Guardiola was clicked, showing six fingers and a cigar in his mouth as the Catalan lifted yet another Premier League trophy. Only this time, it was Manchester City and their fourth in a row, a feat never achieved before in English football.
Despite many suggesting the celebrations were somewhat subdued due to the looming 115 charges on their heads, this Manchester City side will be remembered for generations, or at least until someone else achieves this momentous feat.
Meanwhile, Guardiola showed signs of giving up on his four-peat dream at the very end and his experience in this situation is what got them through. For large parts, Liverpool and Arsenal gave them a tough run, and the Gunners stayed until the very end. But even on the final day, things were in Manchester City’s control.
Manchester City soundly beat West Ham United on the final day of the season, as two early goals from Phil Foden and a late strike from Rodri did the trick. For now, Manchester City are one of the greatest sides of the Premier League era and will remain there until another team catches on to this rather impossible-looking feat of winning four titles in a row.
Mentality
To start with, when Manchester City won the title, the mentality part of their team was essential. Take Arsenal, for instance; they were mentally strong and resilient throughout the campaign. But there was one moment of lapse against Aston Villa, which ended up costing them the title.
Manchester City could have faltered after the disappointing Champions League exit in the quarter-finals, but they did not. Instead, the champions barely flinched in the late-season run-in when many expected them to drop off somewhere.
They did that in a near-flawless style and ended up lifting the title for the fourth consecutive season. They must be commended for their effort and mentality. If there are any doubts about whether Manchester City will be in the race next season, then they have already answered the question.
Squad depth
There was a peculiar scene on the final day of the season when Manuel Akanji left the field to be substituted by Nathan Ake. Like that, Manchester City have an in-depth squad and also have an on-loan midfielder in the stands to take part in the celebrations later.
They have proper squad depth in all possible positions, although they might still have needed a proper right winger to cover for Phil Foden. Additionally, Manchester City missed Kevin De Bruyne for a considerable period of the season and had to be without Erling Haaland for a couple of months at the very least.
Yet, they barely showed signs they missed those superstars and instead went about with their business. Squad depth has been crucial for Premier League sides if they want to win the title, and Manchester City have by far the most potent team in the division.
Rodri
Rodri might be relatively young to be called an experienced veteran. But he continues to defy the odds by playing brilliant football for so many years in a row. Manchester City lost all three of their games without the midfielder, but they have never suffered defeat this season when he has played anywhere.
Despite all the accolades going towards the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and PFA POTY Phil Foden, Rodri has been the silent hero for Manchester City, not this season but since he signed for the club. Guardiola might even end up selling many of his players, but he will unlikely accept any sort of offer for Rodri.
Till the time the Spaniard is playing for Man City, they will always have the chance to keep winning significant honours, and it already showed in this season’s title win.
Winning experience
Manchester City are not in a title race for the first time, and some might point out how efficiently they managed the run-in despite the immense pressure from Arsenal until the final day of the season. With the presence of Pep Guardiola, the players need not worry about how to handle the pressure of winning the trophy, which the manager will efficiently manage.
This is also Manchester City’s sixth title since Guardiola took over, and their Ttiple-Winning season last time out has instilled more belief that they can repeat the trick in the future. Manchester City’s experience of focusing on their prize will continue to take them places, certainly until Guardiola is here at the Etihad.
For now, they must keep believing and manage another season that comes their way. With their experience, they have shown that they do not falter even after a treble-winning campaign and that they could keep going in the future.
115 charges, no problem
Some may argue that Manchester City’s wins may not mean anything until the 115 charges are resolved. These are significant charges on the club, and had it been at any other club, many of the players and fans would have felt the pr essure.
Instead, Manchester City and their players are waiting for a resolution on those charges, but that did not deter them away from the big prize and the task at hand. Whenever the verdict on those 115 charges arrives, it might have ramifications. But until then, Manchester City will continue to perform at the highest level and set the gold standards for the Premier League.