Dipo Olowookere
So much for an unprecedented three-team title race. Understanding the odds to win the EPL does not take a genius. Instead, Guardiola and his team have given the Premier League something it has never seen before. They’ve altered the competition’s entire complexion. To use Guardiola’s words, they have “destroyed the Premier League.”
There is now a risk that City will be too far ahead by a weekend in mid-February. If that happens, Guardiola would have won the title for the third time in five seasons, this time with a devastating mid-season run that no one can match. He and his team immediately realized that the time between the Champions League groups and knockouts, from December to February, is when the Premier League truly shines. Ferguson said that Jose Mourinho’s 95 points with Chelsea in 2004-05 changed his mind about title fights, but City’s point totals suggest that this is a step up even from that.
City has transformed the game and the manner in which you win the league. This should not be taken to absolve other significant clubs, who have long sought their own path. Abu Dhabi’s infinite wealth, on the other hand, allowed the hierarchy to entirely deconstruct the club and rebuild it from the ground up, ultimately accomplishing something no one had ever imagined.
This propels City to the top, where it becomes about so much more than player spending. The club has the financial resources and infrastructure to ensure that they get the most incredible talent from top to bottom. They are described as a beast in the game. Such apparent superficialities matter, since one of the key incentives for all of this, is that Abu Dhabi is viewed as an excellent place to do business. The club rapidly adhered to the emirate’s corporate policies, ensuring excellence in every sector.
City was able to accomplish what Abramovich was unable to. Much of this was set in place before Financial Fair Play, allowing City to build a massive platform just as the drawbridge was being raised. Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian owners will be unable to undertake a similar undertaking. That endeavour does more than allow the City to hire the best. It gives them the power to expect the finest.
They swiftly upgrade if a signing doesn’t work out. There has been a slew of high-priced wingers, centre-backs, and creators. Ten of the 16 have been bought for at least £40 million each. It’s worth noting that Chelsea and United have spent the same amount over the same period. Liverpool isn’t even close, and that’s before net spend is considered. It’s the depth of that infrastructure, not the team, that makes the actual difference.
Within football, there is even a notion that City is in such a powerful position that their transfer targets aren’t only about improving their club. Instead, they’re looking to remove them from the market. All of this contributes to a broader discussion regarding City’s style, which has accompanied their domination.
City has such a high level of synergy that they get more value out of most signings. Instead, it’s as if many of the players in specific positions are nearly interchangeable, with the squad performing at the same level no matter who is on the field. This demonstrates Guardiola’s coaching depth while also allowing him to maximize the depth of his group. As a result, players can be rested whenever they need to be.
Guardiola is still determined to take City to the next level. He aspires to play in the Champions League. If he doesn’t win, he understands it will impact his legacy. Some speculate that he would have walked if he had won it in May. The idea of the holy grail, the psychodrama around the Champions League, is undoubtedly the fascinating aspect of City right now. That has yet to be accomplished by the club that can buy practically anything. It gives them a human quality.
