Manchester City came from 2-1 down against Wolverhampton Wanderers to make it 31 games unbeaten in the Premier League, moving them fourth in the longest unbeaten streaks in the competition's history and further cementing Pep Guardiola's status as one of the best managers of the modern era.
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Pushing past their own limits
Since that 1-0 loss against Aston Villa back in December 2023, Manchester City just doesn't know what it means to lose. That makes a run of 31 unbeaten games so far, beating the club's previous best streak of 30 matches which lasted until 2018. This number not only shows team resilience but consistency and the ability for change under the helm of Pep Guardiola. Interesting to note the evolution of this team, more and more into a tactical machine, game by game, adapting and never allowing adversities to weigh them down.
With this last victory, City has placed itself among the longest unbeaten runs in Premier League history. But the question that everyone is begging for an answer to is: how much can this streak go?
Arsenal and the "Invincibles": An Untouchable Record?
That means the juggernaut needs not to lose any more 18 matches, and it will be level with Arsenal's all-time record of 49 matches unbeaten, which has stood the test of time for close to two decades. This was Arsène Wenger's "Invincibles" Arsenal that reached this mark in the 2003/04 season, a streak that flowed into three seasons. To many, this is one of those records that probably will never be beaten, a ghost from its golden past.
But can City buck that trend? Looking at the Citizens' upcoming fixtures, the tests ahead include clashes against powerhouses Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United. If City continues in their vein of form, these will be some exciting encounters, but undoubtedly some of the most potentially tough tests this season.
The Chelsea challenge: surpassing the third-longest streak
This puts Chelsea, under José Mourinho, third in the list of longest unbeaten runs taken from Premier League history with 40 matches. City would need to go 10 unbeaten to reach that mark. It is not an easy thing to do, but neither is it impossible. Under Guardiola, this lot has time and again shown that it knows the way to handle pressure, especially at moments that are crucial.
The robustness of Mourinho's defence and the unshakeable mentality underpinned Chelsea's run, but this is a different kind of football from Guardiola's City: dynamic, possession-based, full of quick passes and movement. The big question, though, is whether this kind of football will take City beyond Chelsea in Premier League annals.
Guardiola enters the frame alongside the best unbeaten runs
Pep Guardiola cemented a place in soccer lore with his revolutionary style of play. In the Premier League, he is listed not only for one of the longest undefeated streaks with Manchester City, but he features a couple of times in the top five, which really speaks volumes about his ability to build high-performance teams and to keep them.
Now, Guardiola joins the few legends in the game-for instance, Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho-who have appeared at least twice in the longest unbeaten runs in Premier League history. Again, José Mourinho has managed to achieve that with two different clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United, an addition of prestige to his career.
Whether City reaches Arsenal's record or not, one thing is certain: under Guardiola, the team leaves a mark in soccer that will last. Game by game, City confirms its position as one of the most powerful football forces in the world.