Premier League 2018/19 review: Manchester City secure legacy-defining title
There was a lot of premature chatter how Manchester City were the best team in Premier League history after breaking the 100-point mark to win the title in 2017/18. Suggestions City were better than Sir Alex Ferguson’s two greatest Manchester United sides rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way but it’s clear after their latest Premier League conquest that Pep Guardiola’s side are on the right path to becoming the greatest team in the history of the competition.
City closed out the campaign with a remarkable 14-game winning streak in the Premier League, overhauling a seven-point deficit on Liverpool at one stage, to become the first team to defend the trophy since Ferguson’s United a decade ago. They finished one point ahead of Liverpool after beating Brighton 4-1 on the final day of the season and could complete a domestic treble if they beat Watford in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Top rated player – Raheem Sterling (7.61)
Raheem Sterling has been a breath of fresh air on and off the pitch this season. The England international has emerged as a world-class talent for Manchester City, while developing as a role model and ambassador off it. After years of being misunderstood, people are finally starting to realise the real Sterling.
Sterling’s transformation under Pep Guardiola over the last two seasons has been superb. He played a direct hand in 27 league goals this term (17 goals, 10 assists) and was one of just three players to register double figures for goals and assists in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old finished the campaign as the second highest WhoScored rated player in the division, while only Eden Hazard (14) won the WhoScored Man of the Match award on more occasions than the City No.7 (eight).
Biggest Disappointment – Kyle Walker
Having won the Premier League with 98 points, it’s harsh to say anyone disappointed this season. Everyone played a part at one stage of the season.
Phil Foden only started three league games this season and some will argue he isn’t getting enough first-team chances at City, though working under Guardiola on a daily basis is invaluable experience for the 18-year-old.
John Stones’ plight over the course of the campaign was curious, though his level of performance didn’t appear to decline, just that he fell down the pecking order as the months went by.
Riyad Mahrez didn’t quite live up to expectations following his club record £60m move in the summer but made up for his penalty miss at Anfield earlier in the campaign with a stunner on the final day of the campaign to rubber stamp the title. He still scored seven league goals and provided four assists despite only starting 14 games from his 27 league appearances.
City lost twice as many league games this season as they did the campaign before and the one area of their defence that looked particularly vulnerable was at right-back. Opposing teams seemed to get joy out of Kyle Walker’s side.
In fact, no City player committed more errors leading to an opposition shot in the Premier League this season than Walker. Perhaps it is harsh on the 28-year-old, but the fact City are being linked with Joao Cancelo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka suggests Guardiola has his own reservations.
Surprise Package – Oleksandr Zinchenko
Pep Guardiola was prepared to let Oleksandr Zinchenko leave the club last summer, with a transfer to Wolves in the pipeline, but will be glad the Ukraine international turned down a move in order to fight for his place at City.
City spent most of the season without a natural left-back, as Benjamin Mendy proved for the second campaign in a row that he cannot be relied upon. Fabian Delph and Aymeric Laporte were used there to varying levels of success but it wasn’t until Guardiola turned to Zinchenko that the City boss found a good solution.
Zinchenko’s form has been so good this season that the 22-year-old has even been picked ahead of Mendy when the Frenchman is fit. Both are available for Saturday’s FA Cup final but Zinchenko is expected to get the nod. In fact, Zinchenko had the best win rate of any player in the Premier League this season, finishing on the winning side in all 14 of the matches he started.
Where to Improve – A new left-back
It may seem strange to suggest Manchester City need a new left-back after hailing Oleksandr Zinchenko as their surprise package of the season, but it’s still a position that needs addressing.
Zinchenko is not a natural left-back after all, and Mendy has made just 17 Premier League appearances since completing a £52m move from Monaco two years ago. It’s the only position in the City squad where they are genuinely short of options. Guardiola has of course proved pragmatic when forced to find solutions in that position but it’s not ideal for the Spaniard.
The problem is that Guardiola has reportedly decided to cool his interest in finding a natural alternative to Mendy in order to allocate his time and City’s budget to nailing down Fernandinho’s long-term replacement. Having won successive Premier League titles, however, you’d be silly to question Guardiola’s decision-making.
League Position: 1st
Grade: A
