Manchester City’s dominance of English football shows no sign of letting up, with Pep Guardiola delivering the triple in 2022-23.
Citizens who call the Etihad Stadium home have now landed five top-flight crowns in the space of six memorable years. Domestic cup glory has also been savoured in a remarkable trophy-winning run.
City have become the side to beat, with rivals finding it increasingly difficult to chase them down. There is the promise of more to come, and that is a scary thought for those residing at Anfield, Old Trafford, Emirates Stadium, Santiago Bernabeu, Camp Nou and San Siro.
Favourites
Three-in-a-row! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/jWsnCPYe0e
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 21, 2023
Premier League betting odds for 2023-24 already have the Blues priced as 8/13 favourites to retain their standing at the top of the table next season, with 15/2 Liverpool and Arsenal their closest challengers. Any Premier League match predictions can be expected to side heavily with Guardiola’s troops, with there little to suggest that they will be slipping from the loftiest of perches any time soon.
There is a relentless desire to achieve even more at the Etihad that is driven by City’s enigmatic coach. Once every trophy has been won – numerous times over in some cases – it would become easy to take collective eyes off the ball both literally and figuratively.
There is no chance of that happening at City for as long as Guardiola is calling the shots.
He has already matched the efforts of legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson by securing a hat-trick of Premier League titles – with City just the fifth team in the 135-year history of English football to achieve that feat. The others are United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Huddersfield Town. No side has ever won four in a row, so there is an immediate target for Guardiola and Co to aim at.
City defender Ruben Dias has said of the standards set by his demanding coach: “He has won everything and he wants to continue to win. That hunger starts all over again every season – that’s his biggest quality.”
With Guardiola tied to a contract until 2025, there are at least two more Premier League prizes for him to set his sights on, alongside more cup medals at home and abroad.
City, with Sheikh Mansour having ushered in a trophy-laden era, are now up to seven Premier League titles – with Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini having overseen their triumphs prior to Guardiola’s arrival in 2016.
Trophy
Five Premier League titles in six seasons. It's a Pep thing ???? pic.twitter.com/zkblGoWa7i
— GOAL (@goal) May 20, 2023
Only neighbours United have lifted that particular trophy on more occasions since English football was given a serious rebranding in 1992. As things stand, the Red Devils have 13 successes to their name – with all of those achieved during Ferguson’s time at the helm.
City are still some way back on that particular list, but they have been closing the gap in a hurry of late. Given that all seven of their Premier League crowns have been secured in the last 11 years, and with funds and ambition still in plentiful supply, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they could rein United in as the kings of English football by the time a new decade is welcomed in.
