Manchester City’s astonishing numbers over seven years prove they are the greatest English club side of all time, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
City became the first club to lift four consecutive top-flight titles after Phil Foden inspired them to a 3-1 victory over West Ham on the Premier League’s final day.
Guardiola admitted he is unsure what next year’s motivation will be now but insisted the legacy of this City squad will live on eternally after they posted more than 90 points again and pipped Arsenal to the title by two points.
Guardiola’s claim is debatable given that Arsenal’s invincibles team and Manchester United’s 1999 treble winning team are also seen as legendary Premier League teams. Also, Pep Guardiola’s team is a multi-million-pound team with high-profile players on humongous salaries compared to teams of the past. Also Leicester City, a modest club went against the odds in 2016 to win the league. Also, Manchester City faces accusations of breaking over 100 financial fair play rules over the last decade, a case still in court.
‘A team has never done these numbers and this is the standard,’ Guardiola said. ‘This I what the opponents have to do to beat this generation of player. In terms of numbers, nobody has been better than us – the records, the goals, the points and four in a row. If I landed here tomorrow and you say I will win six Premier Leagues in seven years, I would ask if you were crazy. It’s impossible. We have done something unbelievable.’
Guardiola, whose contract runs out at the end of next season, choked up when discussing Jurgen Klopp’s farewell at Liverpool and sang the praises of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
He said: ‘I’m sure Mikel will continue his legacy to drive us to another level. With Arsenal, we get the message = they will be there for many years.
‘I had the feeling in Istanbul last year (after City won the Treble) that it’s over, there’s nothing left to achieve. But I have a contract, I’m still here. Some of the moments I’m a bit tired but some of the moments I love.
‘Now it (four in a row) is done, so what next? The FA Cup. Gary Lineker told me no team has done back-to-back Doubles.’
On the prospect of winning a fifth straight league title next season, Guardiola added: ‘Now I don’t know what exactly the motivation is to do it.
‘But knowing the players and myself, I know that next year we will say, ‘Why should we not win today?’ Why should we not work as much as possible to do what we have to do? And I know we are going to do it.’
