2 to go after one down. Treble-chasing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City crossed the finish line without the need for a sprint finish to win the Premier League title for the fifth time in six seasons.
After Arsenal’s humbling loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday night, which guaranteed them a spot in the Premier League for the upcoming season, City secured the championship. With just one game remaining, Mikel Arteta’s team is currently four points behind its competitors, making it difficult for them to catch Guardiola’s team.
Hopes of a close-fought title contest vanished weeks ago after City destroyed nearest rivals Arsenal at home. While many opponents withered in the closing stages of the most taxing of seasons, Guardiola’s squad climbed the gears and emerged as an unstoppable force, while Arsenal broke down.
Since losing on the road to Tottenham in early February, City has destroyed practically everyone who has tried to stand in their way.
Erling Haaland, who consistently scores goals, deserves a lot of the credit. He is expected to win all three individual prizes and is unquestionably the favourite to win his maiden Ballon d’Or if two additional medals are presented in the next three weeks.
But he has had help from athletes performing at the pinnacle of their abilities, guided by a system that has made destroying elite teams seem regular. In addition, regardless of your perspective on right and wrong, it was supported by a state with an infinite budget.
There are no black-and-white decisions between praising the football and examining the financial circumstances that led the club to this situation.
But first, the football. In addition to Haaland’s brilliance, Rodri has excelled in holding midfield. Since the beginning of spring, Kevin De Bruyne, the creator in charge, has advanced to a new level. As he limits Phil Foden to substitute time, Jack Grealish, who was considered uninspiring at this time last year, has developed to the point that the record £100 million paid to Aston Villa does not seem as outrageously expensive. John Stones has performed admirably in the Philipp Lahm position as an inverted full back in front of a defence that once again has been headed by Ruben Dias.
The team working on a plain that is so much higher than the others that it frequently seems monotonous, but most importantly, this collective can neutralise opponents like no other. There is a claim that their victory does not rate well for entertainment because it was so clinical and devoid of surprise and shock. They will therefore, in the opinion of many, pale in contrast to Manchester United’s 1998–1999 Treble-winning team. However, those arguments won’t matter to City supporters who witness their club trample opponents to death and, in contrast, retort that it shows how much better their team is.
Despite absurd claims about their depth made by Sam Allardyce and others, it was accomplished with the smallest team in the Premier League, which is the contradiction.
Although City may have the most valued squad in football, it ranks second among the top five leagues in Europe. a reminder that quality always wins out over quantity.
The head coach loves it that way. His complex game designs are simple to teach to a smaller group of enthusiastic participants, and it seems to reason that the more people in a group, the less peaceful the environment will be. On the eve of the season, Guardiola stated, “I like to work with not many players and have everyone involved. “What is is what is. We’ve demonstrated over the past few years that we have a tiny team and are in the final stretch.
A closer inspection reveals that City have a core of 14 regular outfield players, excluding Joao Cancelo, who left for Bayern Munich in January. These figures effectively refute the notion that City regularly acquires a large number of players. No, they don’t. With very few exceptions, they simply purchase top athletes who are then given access to the greatest trainers, analysts, and medical personnel to maximise their performance.
After defeating Aston Villa in February, Guardiola lamented that his team’s depth was “so, so small—possibly the smallest in the Premier League.” “It’s crucial that we stay injury-free, but we have a fantastic training system to control tiredness and prevent accidents. We have amazing physiotherapists, doctors, and everyone else. I battle for that.
Few significant injuries have occurred, which is a combination of luck and the sports medicine and medical department. And even when absences did occur, there were players like Manuel Akanji who could fill in without having their performance suffer.
The club’s off-field problems, including the league’s confirmation of 115 allegations of financial malfeasance in February, threaten to overshadow the accomplishments made on the pitch, and opposing fans will undoubtedly continue to argue that an asterisk should be placed next to their victories.
The next few years will be devoted to resolving that, and Guardiola has previously stated that he would leave if there was evidence that the club had acted improperly. City claim there is “irrefutable” proof they did nothing illegal. However, it does put the entire sport in a strange state of indecision as a result of some of the most outstanding football ever played this season.
The FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley and the Champions League matchup against Inter Milan in Istanbul will take priority after a limited period of celebration, though.
Beyond that, the continuation of an age of extraordinary dominance that is more comparable to the Bundesliga or Ligue 1 portends doom for the remainder of the Premier League’s pursuing pack. With a team that will keep becoming better, how can anyone compete?