The majority of the 2022–23 season saw Manchester City trailing Arsenal, but they eventually caught up to them and won the Premier League with two games remaining thanks to their impressive performance.
Last season, City narrowly defeated Liverpool to win the league by one point after pulling off a stunning comeback against Aston Villa on the final day.
Pep Guardiola’s team have had to thank Arsenal’s significant drop-off for making up significant ground this season, unlike last year, when a closely contested title race came down to the wire.
Arsenal appeared poised to end Man City’s two-year reign of supremacy for the majority of the season, but they crumbled when it mattered most.
While this was happening, the City Citizens’ unwavering 12-game winning league streak—which was capped off by a 1-0 home victory over Chelsea last weekend—proved to be too much for their rivals for the title.
Guardiola’s team managed to win a fifth Premier League title in six years despite appearing to be on a collision course with losing domestic dominance for a while.
Man City’s phenomenal league exploits under the Spanish manager bring up a simple question – can anyone stop them?
Man United
With 100 points, City won the Premier League for the first time under Guardiola with second-place Manchester United trailing by 19 points.
In the COVID-19-plagued 2020/21 season, the Red Devils finished second to their cross-city rivals, but a 12-point deficit once again attested to the Cityzens’ unmatched dominance.
In 2021–2022, Man Utd lost touch with Man City as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick could only guide the team to a disappointing Europa League finish.
While Erik ten Hag is poised to lead United back to the Champions League in his first season in charge, there is still a sizable gap between the Old Trafford team and City in terms of sophistication.
The Red Devils might nevertheless attempt a title run next season if upcoming transfers improve the caliber of their team.
Liverpool
Last season, Liverpool came agonizingly close to depriving Man City of the title, but ultimately fell short by one point, as was the case in 2018–19.
Each side in those campaigns broke the 90-point barrier, separating themselves from the pursuing pack by a significant margin.
The Reds have had their worst Premier League since Jurgen Klopp’s first season in charge, and they are almost certainly going to miss out on qualifying for the Champions League after six straight top-four finishes.
But over the years, the Merseyside giants have been Guardiola’s Man City’s only genuine title rivals, and there is a sense that they will be the only ones who can depose them in 2023–24.
Adding to this sentiment, Liverpool will undergo a comprehensive squad overhaul in the summer with the sole purpose of mounting a more serious title challenge next season.
