Dominated almost unchallenged by Manchester City, which secured its fifth English league title in six seasons on Saturday, the Premier League is increasingly coming down to an “All against City”.
In a championship that prides itself on being the toughest and most competitive in the world, the way Pep Guardiola’s men came to beat Arsenal this season was almost greeted with a form of resignation. With another FA Cup final and especially a Champions League final – the only competition that still eludes the Mancunian ogre – to play, City could even equal the famous hat-trick of its neighbor United in 1999.
When Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Emirati royal family, took over the club in 2008, City lived in the shadow of the red giant who had also won five titles in six years, between 1996 and 2001, under the leadership of by Alex Ferguson.
But where success from the Red Devils was the fruit of the long process of rebuilding a historic club, City is a “creature” boosted by the hundreds of millions of euros dumped by an owner-state.
City’s main enemy… is City
Pep Guardiola may be one of the greatest coaches in history, like an Alex Ferguson, the records set by City, whatever they are, are irremediably associated with the considerable financial means available to the Spanish coach.
City thus became the first team to reach 100 points in a season in 2017-18, and could score at least 90 points this year for the fourth time in the last six years.
Ferguson’s Manchester United have only reached these heights twice in a Premier League with 20 clubs and 38 days. The titles gleaned by City have not, however, all been walks in the park, far from it. Before Arsenal this season, Liverpool managed to push the Citizens to their limits. But despite stacking up 97 points in 2018-19 and then 92 last season, the Reds trailed those two years just one point behind City.
The only year in which Guardiola’s City had to admit defeat, in 2019-20, Liverpool had won 99 points. But the 81 units “only” posted that season by the Sky Blues, 2nd despite everything, suggest that the only team capable of beating City is City itself, if it does not evolve at its level.
For half a season, Mikel Arteta raised the Gunners to the level of excellence of his mentor by taking 50 points from the first 19 games, eight more than Manchester.
As long as Guardiola is here…
And if the month of April was a turning point, with three points in just four matches for Arsenal, including a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad, it is above all in parallel the series of victories started in February by City which decided on the title.
” We have a very experienced team and being in the fight in the very last days of the season is not a new situation for us. observes the captain, Ilkay Gündogan.
” It helped us a lot. It’s all about staying calm and having faith in our potential. “, he continues. The main hope of one day seeing a more open Premier League again seems linked to the departure of Pep Guardiola, probably the only totally irreplaceable piece of a very well-oiled machine on all floors.
With Barça, Bayern and City, the Catalan has thus finished champion 11 times out of 14 since he officiates on the benches. And he has two years left on his contract in Manchester…
The thunderous first season of Erling Haaland, author of 52 goals at this stage of the season while exploding a number of records in passing, further darkens the prospects for competition.
The other great danger hanging over Mancunian domination certainly remains the 115 charges of breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 brought against the club.
But there again, there is no guarantee that the Premier League will be in a great hurry, or even very motivated by the idea of cracking down on the club that has become its flag bearer outside the borders.
(With AFP)