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Back to back league titles for Manchester City has firmly established them as one of the great Premier League teams, if not the greatest. Despite Liverpool playing the football of their lives, the Sky Blues embarked on a 14-game winning streak from the end of January to clinch the league by one point. They simply did it in breath-taking fashion, leaving Liverpool with no option but to watch on in envy.
What we saw from Manchester City this season was nothing short of spectacular. Pep Guardiola’s men showcased a brand of football that could only be rivalled by Wenger’s Invincibles.
Not only are they passing teams off the pitch, but they’re also playing with an obsessive determination. Usually, every great team has that one stand-out player, City are different, they have several. And those special players put in great performances this season to win the club’s sixth league title.
Here are Manchester City’s Player of the year Top 3 candidates ranked:
#3 Sergio Agüero
Who would have thought that a £38 million signing back in 2011 would go on to be one of the biggest bargains in Premier League history? Manchester City’s greatest ever player didn’t have his most clinical of seasons, but he was still world class.
That’s the thing with the Argentinean, we’ve grown so accustomed to his consistent brilliance that anything less seems below-par, but it’s not. The 31-year-old still managed to score 21 league goals in 2480 minutes of football, averaging a goal every 118 minutes.
As City’s leading all-time scorer, Agüero’s legendary status continues to grow as each season passes. The striker has now scored 164 goals for Manchester City, putting him amongst the best to ever step foot in England.
There was so much talk two seasons ago about Pep bringing in Gabriel Jesus to replace Sergio Agüero. However, the Argentinean’s willingness to adapt and refusal to roll over has forced Pep to never again consider dropping the 31-year-old.
#2 Bernardo Silva
When he signed for the Sky Blues in 2017, the world took notice, expecting big things. Why? Because the talent and ability Bernardo Silva showed at Monaco, was frightening. The Portuguese international’s bewitching dribble, cat-like agility and impressive eye for a pass have now made him an integral part of how Pep Guardiola wants to play football at the Etihad.
This season, Bernardo Silva really came into his own as a Manchester City player. In the previous season, he showed flashes of brilliance but regularly found himself on the bench. This season, he completely owned the RW position. So much so, that he left £60 million signing Riyad Mahrez and the supremely talented Leroy Sane fighting for his scraps.
With Kevin De Bruyne struggling with several injuries, Silva took up the mantle of being City’s main orchestrator in the final third. If that wasn’t enough, Silva has worked extremely hard off the ball, ferociously chasing down opponents, thus setting an example for the rest of the team.
#1 Raheem Sterling
From media victim to cult hero, the 2018/19 campaign was truly a coming of age season for Raheem Sterling. The youngster’s meteoric rise to a cultural icon and role model have coincided with his best footballing season to date.
This season, the under-pressure Englishman notched up numbers that he could have only dreamed of a few years ago. The City forward scored 17 league goals and provided 10 assists, impressively averaging a goal or assist every 102 minutes. Lest we forget, Sterling is still only 24 and has many of years of growth ahead of him.
Sterling firmly established himself as his team’s go-to man this season, relishing the responsibility in the process. Under the tutelage of Pep, he’s translated potential into performance, announcing himself as one of best forwards in the world.
Raheem Sterling is Manchester City’s player of the season because time after time, he delivered whenever his talented teammates couldn’t.
