Pep Guardiola would’ve laughed in you’re face if you’d told him after yet another abject defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February that his Manchester City side, come the start of May, would look very much on for a historic treble.
Despite the arrival of Europe’s most sought-after striker last summer, Guardiola has racked his brains seemingly all season long in a bid to find his optimal formula.
It’s not always been vintage City this season, but the iteration we’ve seen over the past couple of months has to be regarded among the most enjoyable Guardiola-led sides to behold. They’ve been sensational, and the Citizens have a very good chance of ending the season as England’s first treble winners of the Millennium.
|
Date |
Opponent |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
12/02/23 |
Aston Villa |
3-1 |
|
15/02/23 |
Arsenal |
3-1 |
|
18/02/23 |
Nottingham Forest |
1-1 |
|
25/02/23 |
Bournemouth |
4-1 |
|
04/03/23 |
Newcastle |
2-0 |
|
11/03/23 |
Crystal Palace |
1-0 |
|
01/04/23 |
Liverpool |
4-1 |
|
08/04/23 |
Southampton |
4-1 |
|
15/04/23 |
Leicester |
3-1 |
|
26/04/23 |
Arsenal |
4-1 |
City’s FA Cup commitments mean they haven’t been quite as busy in the Premier League compared to their title rivals as of late – hence why they’ve got two games in-hand on the Gunners.
Nevertheless, the only blip on their recent run is the 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest which arrived just days after the Citizens secured a seemingly pivotal victory at the Emirates. Since that slip-up at the City Ground, Guardiola’s side have found their imperious groove and have rattled off seven straight wins.
Their stellar form at the Etihad continued with triumphs over Newcastle and Liverpool, while they were forced to grind out an imperative 1-0 win on the road at Crystal Palace in mid-February. It’s been a breeze for the Manchester club as of late, with their two-legged triumph over Bayern Munich depicting the current mood their in.
It’s title time, baby, and that was highlighted more than ever with Arsenal dispatched with relative ease 4-1.
|
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Goal difference |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
21 |
28 |
The above table shows just how dominant City have been as of late, with their upturn coinciding with John Stones’ return from injury and his subsequent deployment alongside Rodri in midfield.
Stones has mastered the complex role within Guardiola’s system, and his brilliance has allowed everything else to fall into place. The midfielders are purring, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez are dazzling, while Erling Haaland continues to score at a record-breaking rate.
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Credit: 90min.com
