The most dangerous thing to do at this moment in time would be to write this lot off. Premier League champions for four straight seasons. Treble winners 18 months ago. The most expensively-assembled team in the history of soccer. Filled with born winners, the world's most prolific center forward, the Ballon d'Or holder and the greatest creative midfielder of his generation. And Manchester City is, of course, led by one of the greatest coaches in history. Five points off the lead after 11 matches is nothing in comparison to what it's made up before, so of course you wouldn't write the club off.
Or ... would you? Calling tops are never easy or popular but there are a growing amount of reasons to suggest this time is actually different. City has held a stranglehold over the English game the last seven seasons, missing out on only one league title to Liverpool since becoming the first team to hit 100 points in 2017–18. Title races have felt inevitable and City has sucked the drama out of what was once before known as the most exciting league in the world, much to the team's credit. Soccer robots in an era of AI.
