- City pursuing fourth championship
- Guardiola confident despite challenges
- Liverpool’s lead may regret
Manchester City has become experts at disproving the adage by F. Scott Fitzgerald that second acts do not exist.
The author of The Great Gatsby for the Jazz Age was referring to life in the United States; Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning squads are seasoned veterans of seizing championships by overcoming early-season setbacks and points deficits, generating unbeaten streaks that define the second half of the season.
This feat was on the verge of becoming a fable from a Boy’s Own annual on December 16, as the club was en route to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. The champions trailed Liverpool by three points, despite having completed one more match. Had Jürgen Klopp’s squad earned all possible points before City’s resumption at Everton on December 27, the distance would have been twelve points, despite City having completed two fewer matches.
Even so, you might not have placed your wager against City. Guardiola leads his squad to Newcastle for Saturday’s late kickoff. They have been unblemished in eight matches across all competitions since December 6, with seven victories, including three from four in the league. Victory over Eddie Howe’s squad will bring them within two points of Klopp’s squad, who have each accumulated 20 appearances.
City’s Championship Dominance Unveiled
It is an ominous, recurring pattern. On January 18 and April Fools’ Day of the previous year, City lagged behind Arsenal by eight points. However, by the end of the season, they had secured their third consecutive championship by a margin of four points over the Gunners. Their 25-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, which began on February 12 with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, propelled them to that point.
Four additional championships have been won by City under Guardiola: in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. With the exception of their inaugural victory on December 6, during which they accrued an unprecedented 100 points and never fell more than three points behind in a campaign highlighted by a 22-match unbeaten streak that culminated in a Champions League reversal against Shakhtar Donetsk, each opponent demanded a retaliatory effort following a sluggish start.
A year ago, City trailed by five points after ten games. After defeating Chelsea 1-0 on January 15, a 12-game sequence of league victories was snapped, which was initiated on November 6 with a 2-0 victory at Manchester United. Between December 11 and February 15, they went 13 games without a loss across all competitions. They prevailed over Liverpool by one point, 93, to claim the championship.
In 2020-21, they trailed the leaders by eight points with a game in hand after having played 12 matches in advance; a 15-game winning streak began on December 19 with a 1-0 victory at Southampton. It was a 28-match unblemished streak across all competitions that began on 25 November and ended on 7 March, when they were defeated 2-0 by United, the team they defeated 86 points to 74 in order to move into second place.
City’s Unparalleled Championship Ascent
There were 16 and 14 match unblemished streaks in 2018-19, respectively, from September to December and February to April. City trailed the league by seven points at the midpoint following its 2-1 setback at Leicester on Boxing Day. By mid-May, Guardiola’s squad had surpassed Liverpool’s 97 points to earn their second consecutive championship.
What follows, beginning in mid-January with the 20th league match at St James’ Park on Saturday and concluding with the 38th and final visit of West Ham on May 19th? Guardiola astutely answers any inquiry concerning the possibility of another formidable run by asserting that historical records do not provide any assurances for future outcomes. However, much like the gratifying addiction that City finds in amassing trophies, the elixir of remaining unbeaten for months is the same.
After the initial-day triumph at Burnley, Guardiola did not express displeasure regarding Kevin De Bruyne’s five-month absence due to a hamstring injury; however, his star playmaker has since returned. “From what I observed [on Thursday] in training, he appears to be quite dynamic and effective,” says the manager. Despite Erling Haaland missing the last five league games due to a foot injury, his squad is still in serious contention.
Terrifying for Liverpool and the surrounding areas? Undeniably auspicious. Despite having suffered a 1-0 loss at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, Guardiola’s squad remains motivated by the opportunity to accomplish an unprecedented feat in English football: secure a fourth consecutive championship.
Guardiola’s Bold Championship Vision
“It is currently possible,” says Guardiola. “With 19 games remaining, we trail by five with one game in hand.” It is undoubtedly challenging. Sir Alex Ferguson [at Manchester United], Arsène Wenger [at Arsenal], José Mourinho [at Chelsea], and the other great organizations that have created dynasties comparable to ours—if they were unable to do it, it indicates that it is challenging.
“Whether or not it is realistic is unknown, but it is extremely distant. I will provide a response to the inquiry with six to seven games remaining.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
Following their dominance of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 2022-23, City has revitalized. Guardiola states, “I did not feel frightened, but I had no idea what would transpire after winning the treble and without any rest.” “We had no time before our preseason tour of Japan and the Community Shield; we had to depart immediately.”
“The competition rekindled our zeal, which is why we are in that position after having won two titles already [Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup].”
Liverpool might later come to regret not capitalizing on their lead on December 16th. “I was a little concerned that we might be far, far away,” Guardiola says. “However, I am aware that Liverpool has returned to form and is having some of their best moments in years.”
City, too, has returned to their customary, unyielding rhythm.
