The Premier League has been long known for being the most competitive football league in the world, but now it doesn’t look like it because of Manchester City’s dominance in recent years.
On Sunday, the Sky Blues clinched their fourth straight domestic trophy in as many years, although unlike last year, it took them until the final matchday to complete yet another title defence.
Pep Guardiola’s men came into the final game of the season ahead needing only a victory against West Ham United to lift the crown, and they delivered with an emphatic 3-1 win at the Etihad.
Manchester City’s latest triumph is a testament to their hard work and immense talent, and today, SBOTOP is here to review their 2023-24 English top-flight campaign.
Everyone stepped up for the Sky Blues
Make no mistake about it, Manchester City’s latest Premier League conquest was filled with moments where their players – from the stars to the rotation guys – had to step up, especially because they suffered some key injuries this season.
Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland had lengthy injury absences, especially the former, who needed to go under the knife to fix his ailing hamstring at the start of the season that kept him out for a few months.
In their absences, it was the duo of Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva who made sure that Manchester City didn’t skip a beat up front, and the two have combined for 39 goals and 21 assists in all competitions this season.
Julian Alvarez and Rodri also deserve a shoutout for combining for 28 goals and 25 assists in all competitions this year, while Jeremy Doku has proven to be a solid addition with five goals and nine assists.
Meanwhile, the £77.6 million signing of Josko Gvardiol has been immense for Manchester City’s backline, as the former RB Leipzig man has shown off his goalscoring instinct, having scored five goals this term.
The Croatian defender, who has since been mostly deployed as a left-back, scored three important goals against Nottingham Forest and Fulham during a key stretch between April and May.
However, perhaps the one instance that spurred the Sky Blues (no pun intended) was when they won 2-0 against Tottenham last week, thanks to Stefan Ortega’s heroics.
Ortega had to step in front of City’s goal when Ederson suffered an untimely eye injury, and the 31-year-old made a raft of ridiculous saves, including the big one against Heung-Min Son, to prevent a certain equaliser in the 86th minute.
If Ortega hadn’t made the save, it would’ve been a completely different story for Manchester City and even for Arsenal.
Manchester City needed a little bit of luck
Manchester City wouldn’t have won the Premier League title if their closest challengers didn’t suffer any misfortunes along the way.
Towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign, both Manchester City and Arsenal were in a roll, going back-and-forth against one another, but the Gunner’s loss against Aston Villa in mid-April was enough for the Sky Blues to capitalise.
In the said game, Arsenal produced one of their worst performances of the season, and the 2-0 scoreline actually flattered Mikel Arteta’s men. Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins were the ones who found the back of the net for the Villans.
So, on the final matchday of the season, Arsenal needed certain Premier League 2024 results to go their way.
Mikel Arteta’s side needed Manchester City to lose against West Ham United after they defeated Everton, but two quick first-half goals from Phil Foden and another one from Rodri in the second half essentially sealed their fate.
For the second year in a row, Arsenal supporters will be left in anguish for their missed opportunities.
Manchester City can complete a double
The good news for Manchester City supporters is that their 2023-24 campaign is not over just yet, as they have another shot at winning a trophy in the form of the FA Cup.
The Sky Blues are set to take on the Red Devils for the prestigious cup on Saturday, and just like last season, the Premier League 2024 odds are in favour of Pep Guardiola’s men.
Manchester United have built some momentum ahead of this weekend with back-to-back Premier League victories against Newcastle United and Brighton, but the fact remains that Manchester City are still head and shoulders above them. With a seemingly healthier squad, maybe the Red Devils can put up a fight. But, either way, fans who will watch at Wembley Stadium are lucky since they are in for another huge football spectacle
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