City find themselves in a neck and neck title race with Liverpool this campaign Manchester City emphatically beat Brighton 3-0 last night to return to top spot in the Premier League. Second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were enough to see them move ahead of title challengers Liverpool by a single point.
Pep Guardiola’s side knew they needed to get a win as anything other than that would have seen the reigning Premier League champions stay in second place following Liverpool’s 4-0 demolition job of struggling Manchester United on Tuesday evening.
Last night’s game characterised this neck and neck title race between the two sides perfectly. It was tiresome, pressurised but full of quality, reminding us as football fans just how exciting a competitive season can be compared to campaigns when a team strolls to victory and we know who has claimed the crown months in advance.
ALSO READ: Guardiola reaction to Man City fans hints at Man City title race worries
City themselves are no stranger to high-intensity title races with the club often challenging for the Premier League trophy in the past decade, having claimed their first back in 2012. Since that famous silverware win, City have gone on to attain a further four league titles, three of which have been won under current boss Guardiola.
So how does this present City team compare to their past title-winning counterparts at the same point of the season, with six games to go? We look back on all five occasions that the Blues were able to win English football’s highest honour.
2011/12
City’s first Premier League title win was a race of gigantic proportion but by the tightest of margins with the Blues beating local rivals Manchester United to the trophy by goal difference on the final day of the season. Sergio Aguero’s dramatic 93rd-minute goal confirmed a 3-2 comeback vs the struggling ten men of Queens Park Rangers who had led 2-1.
Yet with six games to go, the table did not favour City in the slightest. City had just suffered a damning 1-0 away defeat to Arsenal, courtesy of a Mikel Arteta goal, and found themselves trailing United by as many as eight points. City were able to capitalise on United dropping points in the final six fixtures.
This season’s iteration of City have 77 points currently, compared to the 2011/12 side’s 71 at this stage.
2013/14
The Blues second title win also came courtesy of a close run race with familiar opposition, as they bested Liverpool on the final day of the season. Goals from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany in a 2-0 home win over West Ham United were enough to see them double their Premier League trophy haul.
Their opponents Liverpool had been in free-scoring form with key striker Luis Suarez eventually winning that season’s Golden Boot. City had a big challenge on their hands but they stayed resolute and won the race.
With six games to go, they had 70 points on the board and sat in third place as both Liverpool and Chelsea had played two games more than City.
2017/18
Without doubt City’s most comprehensive title victory of the five, they were on another level this particular season which has never been matched before or after that special campaign. City eventually ended the season on a mammoth 100 points which is a feat never matched in Premier League history.
Breaking several records in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s Centurion side stormed to title glory at a blistering pace, only failing to win in six games of the available 38. Highlights included a devastating 5-0 win over Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at the Etihad along with away wins at Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
This was encapsulated by their position in the table with six games to go as they had already amassed 84 points and were ahead of second-placed Manchester United by 13 points, a total which would rise to 19 by the end of the season.
2018/19
Arguably the highest calibre and most intense Premier League title race we have ever seen, 2018/19 had it all as Guardiola’s City pitted off against Klopp’s Liverpool in a battle for the ages.
City finished the season on 98 points which was just enough to see them claim their fourth Premier League title, beating their challengers by a single point. Liverpool’s final total of 97 points is still the most a side has achieved without winning the Premier League.
Of all five wins that are on this list, 2018/19 is the most like City’s present season as this current iteration of the squad also find themselves in a neck and neck race with Liverpool for the title, separated by a single point.
After 32 games played, City found themselves in second place with 80 points which is a point more than they are currently on this season. Liverpool topped the table with 82 points but had played a game more. City won their final 14 fixtures in a row to claim the title and this year’s side will need similar consistency in their last six games if they are to prevail once again.
2020/21
City’s most recent title win came last season when Guardiola’s squad strolled to a third Premier League title under the Catalan and a fifth for the club overall.
Similarly to the famous 2017/18 season, City faced no real challenge for the title as their powerful attacking play coupled with a rock solid defence thanks to a partnership of Ruben Dias and John Stones, removed any serious competition for the title from the new year onwards.
City had struggled at the start of the season, finding themselves in eighth place in December but hit form in January and never looked back. With six games to go, Guardiola’s side were top with 74 points, 11 ahead of second-placed Manchester United who had played a match less.
This is the third inclusion of the five on this list where City had less points than they do now in the same position, adding hope to the notion that they will claim a sixth Premier League title this year.
Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this season.
