Pep Guardiola’s early nemeses have joined forces. The Catalan’s first defeat as Manchester City manager was inflicted by Mauricio Pochettino, his second by Chelsea. In his maiden season in England, 2016-17, his City finished a distant third, behind Chelsea and Pochettino’s Tottenham. His quest to win the Champions League with City eventually ended in June: two reasons why it was not concluded earlier were Pochettino, whose Spurs side eliminated City in 2019, and Chelsea, who beat them in the 2021 final.
And yet as Guardiola goes to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, it is having knocked Chelsea off their perch. The 2017 Premier League title was Chelsea’s fifth in 14 seasons, and they finished 15 points ahead of City. Since then, they have not mustered a title challenge. City have claimed 154 points more in the subsequent six campaigns; they are already 12 ahead after 11 games now.
