Record four in a row for City

Pep Guardiola's side sweep to unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title

- JAMIE EVANS

Is there anything left to write about Manchester City that has not already been said? Yes, Pep Guardiola is a genius; yes, their squad is littered with talent and has been superbly constructed with excellent recruitment; yes, they have accrued and maintained a huge advantage over their rivals thanks to the wealth of their Abu Dhabi owners; and yes, the 115 charges from the Premier League continue to hang over their heads.

Their fourth consecutive league title – an unprecedented achievement in the history of English football – was greeted in some quarters with begrudging respect, in others with indifference. That quickly turned to anger when the club’s hierarchy celebrated another title by taking the Premier League to court over Associated Party Transactions, which, they say, discriminate against the club’s owners.

In the style of Ederson’s howitzer of a left foot, City have booted all their offfield issues far downfield, ensuring that they continue to hang over the pitch for the foreseeable future, overshadowing their success. Which really ought to irritate City’s star men as much as everyone else. Guardiola, Phil Foden, Rodri, Erling Haaland and the rest deserve to have their successes celebrated rather than have asterisks placed against them.

As Jonathan Wilson argued in last month’s World Soccer, Guardiola’s unparalleled ability to evolve, to constantly find new tactical solutions, is central to his ability to continue dominating. Foden, long regarded as a huge talent, delivered his best season to date with 19 league goals and eight assists. Rodri set an extraordinary record by going 74 matches without losing, while Haaland retained his Golden Boot with 27 goals. The focus should be on their excellence, but City’s owners make it hard to ignore the background noise.