Manchester City have ended yet another thrilling campaign finishing this Premier League season with a narrow 3-2 win over Aston Villa, with the three goals coming in just 5 minutes of the match. A satisfactory end to a season that seemed doubtful to lift the Premier League title as they remained grounded against West Ham in their previous fixture and then bounced back by pulling off an amazing comeback to lift the Premier League crown.
Pep Guardiola and his squad received criticism for failing to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League final as Real Madrid took the lead in the second leg of the UCL semifinal making it 6-5 on aggregate, but the supporters remain happy as the Sky Blues proved that they are simply invincible when it comes to the league.
Manchester City’s 2021-22 Season Review: The Title Run
Pep Guardiola’s men made a solid start to their campaign by picking up three wins in the fixtures against Norwich City, Arsenal and Leicester City. However, they were held off by Liverpool as they drew 2-2 to put the Mancunian outfit under some pressure. The Sky Blues were defeated 2-0 by Crystal Palace as they recorded their first defeat out of the three they’ve conceded in the Premier League this season. Recovering from the disappointing loss they went on unbeaten until February, as they lost 3-2 to Tottenham and heading into a return leg clash against Crystal Palace they found themselves being held off in a scoreless draw.
The big showdown against Liverpool in the FA cup semifinal ended in a 3-2 defeat which certainly raised doubts over Guardiola’s strategy but the Skyblues never relinquished from the top of the Premier league table having secured the first position back in December. After the defeat against the Reds, they came in stronger gaining momentum in the next consecutive matches and establishing themselves at the top of Premier League Football.
Liverpool remained less concerned in the injury department but they looked to drop points in the final weeks of the Premier League as they had too much on their plate with the hopes of a quadruple finish, whereas Chelsea remained inconsistent in getting results as the Blues were faced with injuries. This saw the Mancunian giants build a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table. They also managed to give a good account of themselves in the Champions League as they booked a place in the semifinal by securing a 1-0 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid but thereafter lacked in grabbing a place in the UCL final being defeated by Los Blancos. However, Guardiola’s men deserve credit to finish the season winning 29 games, drawing 6 and losing only 3 out of 38 matches played in the Premier League. As mentioned earlier they’ve proven to step up domestically, having lifted their second consecutive league title.
Best Players Of Manchester City In The 2021-22 Campaign
Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgian midfielder ended the season with 19 goals and 11 assists to his name in 45 matches for the Sky Blues across all fronts. De Bruyne has always been an offensive threat and has yet again retained his reputation under Pep Guardiola’s stewardship this season, it goes without saying that the 30-year-old is the main man at Etihad and the player of the season.
Raheem Sterling
Sterling has been a saviour at the frontline for the Mancunian giants this season after scoring 17 goals and creating 7 assists across all fronts. He managed to play at various positions and provide cover after Sergio Aguero exited the Etihad midway, which created a void in the final third as Pep Guardiola lacked a number 9.
Phil Foden
The English youngster has gone to great heights after managing to establish himself as a keyman in Guardiola’s frontline. He’s proven himself as a prolific talent and has evidently matured as he banged in 14 goals and secured 9 assists in 48 matches this term on all fronts.
Stats via Whoscored
What’s Next For The Domestic Champions?
Managing Manchester City is often taken for granted as their wealth could easily bring in top tier players and one could just sit back as the squad makes your dreams come true. This misunderstanding could very well stain a coach’s reputation, dropping a single point, failing to qualify for a cup final or even a miscalculation in signing someone that is fairly not needed could become a huge problem.
Pep Guardiola has done a terrific job at managing the Sky Blues except for bringing in Jack Grealish which was for the nought as the £100m signing did not look to justify his price.
For the upcoming season, Guardiola and his men would look to bring home the UEFA Champions League Trophy and would also be on the run for a third consecutive league title. Singing Erling Haaland would require a lot of work but securing his services would help Manchester City in their hopes of becoming the reigning European champions.
