Guardiola makes Man City PL's unbeatables

A record fourth consecutive Premier League triumph is now seen as an unavoidable matter of routine due to Manchester City's overwhelming dominance in the domestic game.

For the sixth time in seven seasons, City entered the season ahead of schedule and knew they simply needed to defeat West Ham United to win the championship again. They duly did.

Once again, Pep Guardiola's dominant team has shown their unrivalled prowess in the Premier League.

They seem immune to everyday stresses, and the fact that they have altered the historical records is unlikely to elicit a great deal of discussion or in-depth examination. As anticipated. The failure to complete their mission would have been a seismic shock.

Manchester City's remarkable run of 19 wins and 4 draws in their last 23 league games since their loss at Aston Villa in December has come as no surprise to many. Their consistent success has become almost expected, although it would be an exaggeration to say that these impressive achievements are met with complete indifference.

This is where it's important to address the big picture because any City victory will be followed by the story that the team is still facing 115 Premier League accusations for suspected financial irregularities, which the club is keen to emphasise it vigorously denies.

It has been 15 months since those charges were brought against the club. Without clear and definitive resolution, City will continue to face external criticism and doubt whenever they achieve victory.

When it comes to football, there's simply no room for debate.

In a 2019–20 season disrupted by the Covid epidemic, Liverpool overcame them. Led by an incredible 18-point lead, Jurgen Klopp's team brought the crown back to Anfield for the first time in thirty years.

Liverpool and Arsenal have attempted to have an impact on this incredible football machine in the previous years, but they haven't quite been able to deliver the last blow.

Liverpool's performance under Klopp has been impressive, although it falls just short of being truly exceptional. Now we can see the same situation with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

As much as it hurt Arsenal's feelings as it did Liverpool's, City's signature end-of-season surge now seems to be the result of muscle memory taking over.

In the 2018–19 seasons, they overcame Liverpool twice on the last day of play, winning 4–1 at Brighton to win the championship by one point. Then, in 2021–22, they overcame Aston Villa with 14 minutes remaining, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat Klopp's team by one point.

Guardiola and his players have taken a habit started by predecessors Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini in 2011-12 and 2013-14 respectively and perfected it to something resembling normal service.

Erling Haaland's deadly shooting and Kevin de Bruyne's creative genius are just two examples of the elite talent that adorns City. Phil Foden, who has scored 27 goals this season from midfield, has joined both of them in that category.

De Bruyne and Haaland faced significant injury setbacks this season. De Bruyne, in particular, had to undergo hamstring surgery after the first league game against Burnley. However, they always had support when they needed it.

After his exploits for Croatia in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Josko Gvardiol, a potential great central defender, was purchased by RB Leipzig for a reported £77 million. Since then, he has been used as a left-back and left wing-back. His goal-scoring instinct has been shown by his two goals in the 4-0 victory over Fulham and another in the triumph over Nottingham Forest.

Stefan Ortega's performance in the 2-0 win at Tottenham was truly remarkable. His impressive display in goal has left City just one win away from securing the title. It's safe to say that his contribution will be remembered as crucial in their title-winning campaign.

As Son Heung-min closed in on goal with only Ortega to beat, it seemed like Arsenal had a golden opportunity to take the lead and gain an advantage in the title race. The significance of the occasion was shown when Guardiola, in relief, flung himself flat on his back in the technical area and ran out onto the field to kiss Ortega's face as the final whistle blew. The keeper's outstretched right leg rescued City.

This victory was a true display of teamwork and unity.

There have been moments during the season when City have appeared more vulnerable than usual, but as their supporters sing, "Look who is champions again." City's summer 2023 recruitment has yet to bear full fruit, with Jeremy Doku a raw material and Matheus Nunes yet to flourish after a £53 million move from Wolves.

Above all, it's how Guardiola's team has once again handled the narrowest margins of the championship race without faltering and exerting mental pressure on opponents who know that one mistake can have dire consequences.

During the 2018-19 season, City managed an impressive streak of 14 consecutive victories, narrowly edging out Liverpool. Even though Klopp's team only lost one game—to the eventual champions—and finished with 97 points, it was insufficient. The margin in 2021-22 was quite comparable.

Arsenal was defeated by City this season, despite the fact that the race went to the last game. Arsenal's lone stumble over the closing stretch was a 2-0 loss at home to Aston Villa. This

City team is incredibly relentless. They don't settle for anything less than a mile when given even the slightest advantage.

Guardiola's squad is very talented and resilient enough to weather the season's hard moments. They can go far to the finish line and outlast opponents with ease.

The bad news for teams like Liverpool, who are entering the Arne Slot era, and Arsenal, who have come so close for the last two seasons, is that City's ravenous need for trophies has not been sated by consistent success. They may win both the FA Cup and the domestic league if they defeat Manchester United in a rematch of last season's Wembley final because it is still as sharp as ever.

Manchester City has cemented their position as the dominant force in English football, even if they were unable to duplicate the historic feat of becoming the second English team to win the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League last season.