Manchester City have been on a ridiculous run of form over the last few months. They have won 19 games in row across all competition and you have to go all the back to November 21st to see their last defeat. Pep Guardiola has his team firing on all cylinders at the moment as they look to reclaim the Premier League Title.
Stumbling out of the gate
For a team with the talent and quality like Manchester City have, their start to the Premier League season was average at best. The Citizens were only able to grab 12 points from a possible 24 which had them sitting 13th in the table after match week 9.
This start was not up to par considering the caliber of players that the City had in their squad, and a lot of City fans were wondering if Pep was going to leave the club. Good news for the coach, team and the fans, Pep and his boys were about to go on a special run that would turn the season around.
Finding Their Stride
Manchester City would rebound from a 2-0 loss to Tottenham on November 21st with a huge 5-0 win against Burnley, this momentum would suddenly shift the direction of their season.
Fast forward to now, Manchester City is undefeated in 25 straight games, which has propelled City to the top of table. The Citizens are currently 10 points above rivals Manchester United and Leicester City, and have +35 goal differential compared to United’s +21.
The Sky Blues have looked invincible for the last couple months with players coming back from injury and finding their form again. Is there anything that could stop Manchester City at the moment? Honestly, it doesn’t seem like much can, but it’s possible they may hit a speed bump soon…
Congestion of Games
City are currently competing in the Premier League, EUFA Champions League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. When you’re competing in 4 different competitions at the same time, that could cause some scheduling issues. For example, Manchester City are slated to play 7 games in the next 22 days starting with their game today vs 4th place West Ham.
Good teams need to get used to a packed game schedule — clubs like Manchester City are expected to win multiple titles and the Citizens have placed themselves in prime position for exactly that. They’re first in the Premier League, they’re in the quarter finals of the FA cup, the round of 16 of Champions League (where they are up 2-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach), and to top it all off they’re in the EFL Cup finals.
These congested schedules can cause problems for teams who don’t have the squad depth to deal with all these games in a short period. Just look to last season’s Champions League where Atalanta were absolutely gassed against PSG, and couldn’t hold on against the Giants from Paris. Luckily for City fans, this isn’t an issue. The Sky Blues dealt with some injuries at the start of the season, but slowly, they’re gaining all their bodies back, and look ready to take on all 4 of the competitions they’re in.
The Sky’s the Limit
After their rocky start to the season, it’s quite evident that Pep Guardiola has steadied the ship and has guided his club back on course. Now the question is, can this run of form lead to any trophies? I personally, think it’s not a question of if they’ll win a trophy, but how many could they win.
There are still 13 games remaining in the Premier League season, but as it stands, it’s City’s title to lose. City have a huge game against rivals Manchester United on March 7th — if they win the game, it will go a long way in securing their title.
The Premier League is still a few months away from it’s conclusion, so trophy number one could very well come on April 25th when Manchester City take on Tottenham in the finals of the EFL Cup. The Spurs don’t nearly have the same squad depth that City have, and they’re also still in European competitions. If Manchester City keep up this form, I could see them winning the final with relative ease.
The Big One
Winning the Premier League is no easy task, but Manchester City have done this before on multiple occasions. The one that’s evaded them through their glory days has been the Champions League title. City have a squad just littered with superstars all over the pitch and the results they’ve produced in recent champions league is not fitting of the star power in their team.
Could this be the year that Pep finally leads the Citizens to the first Champions League Crown? Stay tuned City fans, it’s looking like this very well could be your year!
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