In one of the greatest title races in English football history, Manchester City successfully defended their crown despite a historic 97-point effort from Liverpool.
Manchester City’s 4-1 win at Brighton on Sunday confirmed the Blues’ first-ever successful title defense, with a 14-match winning streak to end the season denying Liverpool their first top-flight championship in 29 years in an enthralling race.
City matched Liverpool step-for-step in an epic battle with neither side missing a beat during the final stretch of the campaign. While there was some early final day drama when City went 1-0 down on the South Coast and the Reds led by a goal at Anfield, the Blues responded within 83 seconds to put themselves back into the driver’s seat. While Liverpool did lead City at one point by 10 points (although City had a game in hand), it was the Blues’ resilience and mentality, not a slip-up from the opposition, that truly led to their historic victory.
With the win, City claimed their second consecutive English league title, and the fourth in the last eight years. On the season, City have claimed the second piece in their quest for an unprecedented domestic treble consisting of the Carabao Cup, Premier League, and FA Cup, with the chance to complete the sweep of domestic honors on May 18 at Wembley.
It has been a long and testing journey to the title which manager Pep Guardiola has described as the toughest of his distinguished career. Liverpool put up the best challenge to not end in a championship in league history, while City dealt with several injuries to key players in defense, midfield, and attack as well as the pressure of competing on four separate fronts across a grueling 10-month season. Here are the key factors that helped City come out on top of one of English football’s greatest-ever battles.