Editorial Football World Football

With stars like Phil Foden, Man City and Pep Guardiola can make it five-in- a-row

May 20, 2024
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Manchester City, EPL 2023-24 Champions (Image: Man City)

It was supposed to be tense. Nerve-wracking. The trouble was, someone forgot to tell Manchester City, and Phil Foden in particular. The final day of the English Premier League (EPL) season did see Arsenal win, eventually, against Everton. But by then, a brace from Phil Foden, surely the player of the season, and another vital goal from Rodri had ensured that the trophy would be staying at the Etihad for another year.

Just look at the numbers and marvel. City had 72 per cent possession, while peppering the West Ham goal with 28 shots. As many as 12 were on target. West Ham scored a wonder goal through Mohammed Kudus’ bicycle kick, but the result, like the outcome of the title race, was never in doubt.

Halfway through the season, City had lost thrice and trailed Liverpool by two points – 40-42. And though they didn’t manage to beat either title rival this season, City pocketed a cool 51 points (16 wins and three draws) from the second half of the campaign. Pressure? What’s that?

There will inevitably be talk of the old Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and City’s 115 alleged breaches of it. That talk will not go away until the EPL makes a decision – especially after the points deductions handed down to Everton and Nottingham Forest. But most of those rumoured infractions took place over a decade ago, long before Pep Guardiola rode into town and created a team without peer in English football history.

 

Let’s deal with a canard or two first. The ‘Emptyhad’. Yes, City fans were slow to warm to European Champions League matches, but by the time Real Madrid were routed 4-0 in the semi-final second leg last season, the atmosphere was no less than any other great football cathedral. As for bandwagon-jumping fans, City are the team that used to take tens of thousands of fans to away games in League 1 in 1998-99.

In fact, four days after Manchester United clinched the first treble by an English club on May 26, 1999, City needed late, late goals from Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov to take unfancied Gillingham into extra time and then penalties in the promotion play-off final. From there to winning a sixth top-tier title in seven seasons, and finishing 31 points clear of United, has been some quarter-century journey.

Sir Alex Ferguson was the only manager to previously win three English titles in a row. Herbert Chapman, at Huddersfield and, later, Arsenal, created legendary teams, but was not around to see the three-peats completed. Bob Paisley, at Liverpool, won two in a row before Joe Fagan added a third in 1983-84. Jose Mourinho’s attempt at three on the bounce with Chelsea came a cropper in 2006-07.

Some of football’s greatest names, and even a hat-trick of titles had proved beyond them, testament to how competitive English football has been in comparison to other leagues. Now, Guardiola has won four on the spin, and who would wager against him making it five before he signs off in the summer of 2025?

Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta having learned the trade under both Arsene Wenger and Guardiola, will bounce back strongly. They have the best defence in the league, and a proper No. 9 will complement a young squad that now has leaders all over the pitch, none more influential than Declan Rice.

Liverpool fans will wait with bated breath to see how Arne Slot fits into Jurgen Klopp’s impossibly large boots, while United’s attempts to rebuild and look beyond Eric ten Hag are complicated by Gareth Southgate being at the Euros with England till the middle of July. Will Ange Postecoglou stay on at Spurs after his scathing recent assessment of the culture there? And what will Chelsea’s scattergun owners do with Mauricio Pochettino? How much will Saudia Arabian riches impact Newcastle’s push for another top-four place? And can Unai Emery continue to work miracles at Aston Villa?

In recent seasons, City have waved goodbye to players as influential as Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan. The secret to Guardiola’s enduring success lies in being able to replace such legends. Regardless of whether Bernardo Silva or Kevin de Bruyne leave in the summer, City will be right back at it, come August. And with the mesmeric Foden not even 24, they have a local hero to build around for the best part of the next decade.