17 May 2024 , 18:00
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In another era, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta would have won more trophies - but they have found themselves competing with Pep Guardiola, an all-time great.
By the same token, Andy Murray would have won far more than three Grand Slam tournaments in tennis if he didn’t have Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as his rivals. But that’s the nature of sport: You can only beat what’s in front of you, and sometimes the opponents in front of you are just too strong.
That’s the way it is with Guardiola and Manchester City, who I expect to clinch their fourth Premier League title in a row - and sixth in seven seasons - this weekend. And I can’t see Liverpool, Arsenal or anyone else claiming a larger slice of the cake until Pep has gone, in the same way that Manchester United dominated for 20 years until Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Klopp bids farewell to Anfield on Sunday after taking Liverpool on a fantastic ride for almost nine years. And Arteta has proved he is a great motivator of the Gunners. But they have won only one Premier League title between them as managers, and that’s because Pep has built the finest team we’ve ever seen in English football.
City can’t win the Champions League this season, but I still think they are the best team in Europe. Regardless of what is going on in the background with the outstanding charges, Guardiola has built a winning machine.
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Nine of the current squad who will take the chequered flag if they beat West Ham in their final game - Emerson, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden - wore the crown back in 2021.
That’s incredible consistency, and it’s why this City team deserve to be recognised as the greatest of the Premier League era if they achieve something that’s never been done before - not by Fergie, not by Jose Mourinho, not by Arsene Wenger.
Four in a row is phenomenal. There is a huge amount of jealousy among rival fans, but City are more clinical, more proficient and more ruthless at winning the games they are expected to win.
Manchester City have been relentless in their pursuit of success and are on the verge of more history (Getty Images)They have been like snooker legends Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry in their heyday. They have turned winning into an obsession, not just a habit. Arsenal may have taken four points off City this season and drawn twice with Liverpool, but they will look back on Christmas week - when they lost to West Ham and Fulham - plus home-and-away defeats against Aston Villa with so many regrets.
And Liverpool will always wonder if they could have given Klopp a more triumphant farewell, but they missed the boat twice at Old Trafford (in both the FA Cup and league), lost at home to Crystal Palace and chose the worst possible time to suffer a rare Merseyside derby defeat at Goodison Park.
I’ll look foolish if City fall at the last hurdle, but - sorry, Arsenal fans - I don’t see it happening. We are talking about the best team in England, the best team in Europe… and I don’t see anything changing until Guardiola leaves the Etihad.
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