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Manchester City had a magnificent start to the season and to everyone, it was no surprise. This has been as a result of their great exploits last season where they broke several records on their way to the title. Pep Guardiola’s men were so ruthless that they steamrolled other teams with great ease.
The brand of football they play is beautiful and easy on the eye where they effortlessly pass the ball around and starve opponents of possession. After spending heavily during the few transfer windows, the team is looking more balanced and complete. They arguably boast of the best squad in the country and even Europe.
The Cityzens had a couple of glitches already, having lost twice to Chelsea and Crystal Palace before Christmas and another to Leicester City on Boxing Day. This has seen them fall down the pecking order behind rivals Liverpool, who are currently level on points with the City with a game in hand.
However, City’s squad is a team that never gives up and always recover in quick fashion after defeats in the past. The title race is as close as ever and may likely go down the wire with Spurs recently emerging as dark horses. The blue side of Manchester still remains favourites to win back-to-back titles for the first time in ten years.
Here are three reasons as to why they will retain their crown.
#1 The best attack in the league
Manchester City is the most lethal team in the Premier League. The attack is so devastating that it has the ability to destroy any defence in the league. They have attempted 174 shots on target which is a league high. They are also the highest scoring team in Europe this season, with a staggering 114 goals, 47 more than their league rivals, Liverpool.
The Cityzens are blessed with an array of exciting attacking talents both on the pitch and the bench. The presence of big names like Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and the Kevin De Bruyne always send shivers down the spine of the opposition. The evergreen David Silva is always excellent in driving the team forward and provides the cutting edge.
When you take a look at the bench, game changers in Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus are always ready to make an impact on the game. This might just give them the edge as the title race goes down the wire.
#2 Title winning experience
Pep Guardiola’s men have an advantage in which their other rivals lack. That advantage is that they have won the title in the past while Liverpool has nothing of such. We have seen how teams in the past have led the Premier league table for so long only to succumb to pressure and bottle it at the very end. Liverpool themselves have fallen victim to these instances.
Manchester City has proven time and time again that they never give up until it is over. A prime example of this was when they won their first title eight years ago. They held their nerve to the last minute of the final day of the season before AGUEROOOOO happened.
League champions are always consistent over long periods of time and avoid complacency. They always recover and get back on their feet in no time after a defeat. The Liverpool squad is yet to face that test. Jurgen Klopp has recently been addressing issues of handling the pressure on the media and questions still remain on his team as to whether they are capable of doing just that when the going gets tough.
#3 The Pep effect
Manchester City has arguably the best manager in the world in Pep Guardiola, a footballing visionary who has revolutionized the way the beautiful game is being played.
He is the man who has been successful wherever he goes as shown with his stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. He has taken football to a new level and has created staggering records in different leagues.
He had a very difficult first season in England when he went trophyless for the first time in his managerial career. He recruited young and vibrant talents and has helped them raise their games to new levels. Since then, the team has never looked back.
The Cityzens are well back on track after scoring a huge victory in their mouthwatering showdown with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. They have smartly built on that victory over the last few weeks and are now top of the table. With an X-Factor in the form of their manager Guardiola, he could ultimately be the key to Manchester city winning back-to-back titles for the first time in 10 years.
