Manchester City are just four wins away from claiming the Premier League title after a comfortable 1-0 win over reigning champions Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The game was a walk in the park for the Citizens. However, the fact that Chelsea decided to park the bus helped. The Blues failed to have a shot on target on the City goal. That is a illustration of just how apprehensive the Blues were against the Citizens.
Teams are terrified of City
However, boss Antonio Conte has defended using negative tactics. In a roundabout way, the Italian has said he was scared that his team would have been on the end of a worse beating by attacking City at the Etihad.
This is the sort of fear factor that the best teams instil before a ball has even been kicked, a massive psychological advantage for the Citizens. It is the sort of fear that teams used to have going to Anfield in the eighties or Old Trafford during Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days.
Every team in the Premier League is currently terrified to face City at the Etihad Stadium. They simply have the ability to blow any team away. A record of 14 straight home wins in the league shows just how formidable they are on home soil.
Guardiola is building something special
For all the talk about City and Guardiola spending big, it would be difficult to deny that Guardiola has or is in the process of building something special at Manchester City. Not many teams can play the brand of football that the Citizens does successfully.
The Catalan-boss is a special character and coach, who builds special teams. Loathe him or loathe him it would be churlish to argue that he has been a winner wherever he has managed.
Manchester City have won two Premier League titles. However, this team is by the far the best of those teams, even if it was more expensively assembled than any of the previous sides.
Guardiola is responsible for his team being so good. His coaching and ideas on football tactic are innovative. He is prepared to take risks if it means his team are even slightly better.
The current team may be Guardiola’s. However, the former Barcelona boss will leave a lasting legacy of quality players and winning at the club. The recent League Cup triumph over Arsenal was Guardiola’s first in English football.
With the Premier League title all-but-over and done with, City are likely to end the season with a far bigger trophy collection. The Citizens only need four more wins in the league to clinch the title.
City the favourites to win the Champions League
One of the trophies still on offer for City is the Champions League. The Citizens are currently 10/3 favourites to win Europe’s elite competition. Guardiola’s team already have one foot in the quarter-finals after beating Swiss side Basel 4-0 in the last 16 first leg. The second leg on Wednesday night is nothing more than a formality.
Winning their first Champions League would be a special moment for everybody connected with the club. Neighbours Manchester United have won the European Cup in its various guises on four occasions. City have some catching up to do, which United fans are quick to remind their City counterparts. However, even United fans will realise that Guardiola’s current team are something special.
Some people are talking about the current Citizens team as the best in Premier League has ever seen. That is slightly premature, as City would need a period of domestic dominance to achieve such status. However, for now, City are fantastic to watch. With the workaholic Guardiola in the dugout, the Citizens will only get better and better, which is a frightening thought for the rest of the Premier League.
Is the current Manchester City team the best the Premier League has seen?
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