At a forced march, at the start of winter, Manchester City lost its pursuers, Chelsea, which it receives on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) for the 22nd day of the Premier League, and Liverpool, to such an extent that we cannot see what who could stand in his way to the title.
To discover
Premier League fixtures and results
Premier League standings
At the end of October, after ten days, all observers were looking forward to the tight fight that was looming for the season. Defeated at home by Crystal Palace (0-2), the title holders were only in 3rd place with twenty points, as many as West Ham (4th), two lengths behind the Reds and five behind the Blues. Saturday, eleven days and eleven victories later, they will enter the Etihad field with ten lengths ahead of the Londoners and eleven on the team of Jürgen Klopp, who have one game less.
A win over Chelsea, who have paid a heavy price in recent weeks with injuries and the wave of Covid-19, would likely knock the Blues out of the title race for good.
As for Liverpool, deprived for a few weeks of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, parties to the African Cup of Nations (CAN), it will need a course practically without fault to catch up.
The Anomaly 2019/2020
This season's scenario is reminiscent of last year's, where a 19-game unbeaten streak saw City soar to victory with a twelve-point lead over the Reds.
Or that of the 2017/2018 season (the first title under the orders of Guardiola), where the Citizens could contemplate the rest of the pack from the top of a chasm 19 points ahead of United.
The three championships won with the Catalan have been with an average of 95 points scored.
At the current rate, it would reach 96 on the 38th and final day.
Better defense with only 13 goals conceded and better attack with 53 registered, it is difficult to know what could make City lose the lead, if not himself.
In retrospect, the 2019/2020 season, which saw Liverpool go it alone towards the title with 99 points, 18 better than City, seems to be an anomaly which is also partly explained by an unusual defensive feverishness, quickly resolved since.
Such stability in excellence could erode the Premier League's reputation as Europe's most competitive league.
A “Pep-dependence”?
Some even imagine an era of domination comparable to that of the eleven titles gleaned by Liverpool between 1973 and 1990 or the thirteen trophies won by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United between 1993 and 2013. "
We have never seen anything like it in this country -- the way they play football or dominate the game
," admitted ten days ago Gary Neville, who has yet participated in eight of United's thirteen coronations. “
City have a very strong squad, an excellent coach, a unique way of playing which demoralizes the opponent. It is a huge challenge to ask Chelsea or Liverpool to catch them
,” he added.
"
Manchester City have the best squad in the history of English football
," added Graeme Souness, five times titled in six seasons with the Reds between 1978 and 1984. "
If players are injured or have a drop in form, they come out and put others in.
It is a formidable force
,” he said.
The chemistry between the club and the identity that Guardiola instilled in it is such that only the latter's uncertain future in his post, where he is under contract until 2023, seems to offer hope for a lasting rebalancing to others. teams.