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Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are seeking a fourth straight Premier League title, making some observers wonder if the Cityzens are untouchable.
Manchester City matched Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United treble winners at the backend of last season with a Champions League victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Pep Guardiola’s irrepressible side reached the feat by claiming yet another Premier League title, winning their third on the trot, equalling a three-peat achieved on two occasions by Ferguson’s Red Devils.
Has Guardiola turned the Premier League into a “farmers league”?
For anyone who has been keeping score, that is now five league titles for Guardiola in six years, suggesting unrivalled dominance for the Cityzens in England’s top flight.
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09:20 - 23.05.2023
Greater than Sir Alex Ferguson — Liverpool legend sparks outrage with Guardiola admission
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has just completed a phenomenal three-peat of the Premier League title, cementing himself as one of the greatest ever.
However, it is not that simplistic.
A closer look at the final league table in the last three campaigns shows that the claim could not be farther from the truth.
The 2020-21 season admittedly ended with Guardiola’s men finishing 12 points ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but the subsequent two years have witnessed close title tussles.
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15:15 - 26.05.2023
MYTHBUSTER Is Pep Guardiola’s Premier League dominance down to Manchester City’s riches alone?
This week’s edition of ‘Mythbuster’ examines the consensus that Pep Guardiola's Manchester City resources outdo his competitors, scrutinising each club’s yearly business in the transfer market.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool pushed City until the final gameweek and even led the table on the last day when Aston Villa led Guardiola’s men 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium, threatening to rain on the home side’s parade.
The Manchester outfit turned the game on its head to win 3-2 to thwart Liverpool’s chances of a second Premier League title in three years by retaining the trophy.
Last season was not as dramatic, but the five-point lead over Arsenal did not tell the complete story of City’s season.
Not only were Mikel Arteta’s Gunners the likeliest side to dethrone Guardiola’s men, but the North London side held a five-point advantage with nine games remaining.
A green Arsenal side tailed off in the season's final weeks just as City grew in stature after their manager threw down the gauntlet in early February.
Manchester City’s last two Premier League wins have been far from easy, with the Cityzens having to dig deep to claim the titles in 2022 and 2023.
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12:00 - 21.05.2023
FOOTBALL Unleashing domination: The anatomy of Manchester City's historic Premier League 3-peat
Manchester City's relentless pursuit of excellence under the guidance of Pep Guardiola has culminated in an astonishing achievement - a third consecutive Premier League title and a seventh within a span of 12 seasons.
One of their two triumphs before Liverpool’s first success in a generation also saw Klopp’s charges pose a credible threat to the Cityzens, who won the 2018-19 title by a point on the last day.
Despite the stranglehold in recent years under the former Barcelona manager, Manchester City’s Premier League success have by no means been a walk in the park. They have had to ward off the challenge of Liverpool and Arsenal and have coped immeasurably well with an improving league-wide standard.
The chasm in quality does not seem as wide as the Bundesliga — another competition degraded as a one-club division.
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08:27 - 28.05.2023
'Bayern Munich deserve Bundesliga title' - Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic
Dortmund's Edin Terzic believes Bayern Munich deserved to win the Bundesliga title
Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga hegemony
Thomas Tuchel’s side were given a fright by Borussia Dortmund until the last kick of the 2022-23 season, but the Bavarians sealed an 11th straight league triumph.
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By no means intended to water down Die Bayern’s impressive stranglehold in Germany, greater clarity regarding the giants’ dominance is understood after going through each year’s success.
Dortmund have been FC Hollywood’s closest challenger, and BVB’s last triumph came in 2011-12 when Klopp led the club to back-to-back wins. The margin between first and second in 2010-11 and 11-12 was seven and eight points, respectively.
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A look at the subsequent years in the Bundesliga demonstrates Bayern’s dominance. The Bavarians held a 25-point lead over Dortmund after gameweek 34 in 2012-13. In the consequent season, it was 19 points.
Wolfsburg finished the 2014-15 season 10 points adrift of the dominant club in Germany before Dortmund replaced the Wolves in second place the following year, ending 10 points back of Bayern.
RB Leipzig replaced BVB as runners-up, finishing 15 behind the league champions, who held a 21-point advantage over Schalke at the end of 2017-18.
The 2018-19 campaign saw Dortmund miss an opportunity to supplant Bayern, with two points separating both clubs at the season’s climax.
But that outcome was an anomaly, as FC Hollywood finished the following season 13 points ahead of Die Borussen.
Three seasons back saw Bayern end 13 clear of Leipzig, while eight points separated the Bavarians from BVB in 2021-22.
Verdict
Both 2018-19 and last season have been anomalous in the Bundesliga, with FC Hollywood often sealing their title triumphs with comparable ease.
Bayern’s financial clout and historical appeal help to secure the league’s best talents, with the Bavarians still seen as the competition’s destination club.
Manchester City have been consistent in England, but they are not on the same pedestal as FC Hollywood and would be pushed by an improved chasing pack in 2023-23.
The same cannot be said of the forthcoming Bundesliga season.
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15:48 - 28.06.2023
Guardiola is a genius — Arsenal's Arteta praises ex-boss at Man City amidst Declan Rice battle
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