Man City’s Championship Journey: A Spectacular Comeback
Despite Arsenal leading for the majority of the season, Man City staged a remarkable comeback to clinch their 5th Premier League title in 6 years. Let’s take a look back at the incredible journey of the Sky Blues in the 2022/23 season.
ACCELERATING FROM THE START
As the reigning champions, Man City made an impressive start to the season. They remained unbeaten in their first 10 matches, winning 8 and drawing only 2. The only times The Citizens were held were in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Newcastle and a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
Overall, Man City displayed their dominant strength with commanding victories such as a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, a 6-0 win over Nottingham Forest, a 3-0 win over Wolves, a thrilling 6-3 win over Manchester United, and a 4-0 win over Southampton.
Despite losing the duo of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko (who moved to Arsenal), Pep Guardiola’s team managed to make quality additions such as striker Erling Haaland, defender Sergio Gomez, and center-back Manuel Akanji.
While Gomez remained a young player and served as a substitute, both Akanji and Haaland immediately secured starting positions. Among them, Haaland brought about the most significant change for the Sky Blues, continuously finding the back of the net from the early rounds of matches.
UNEXPECTED SETBACKS
After an impressive start in the first 10 matches, Man City unexpectedly went through a slump from mid-October 2022 to early February 2023. During this period, Pep Guardiola’s team suffered four defeats: a 0-1 loss to Liverpool, a 1-2 loss to Brentford, a 1-2 loss to Manchester United, and a 0-1 loss to Tottenham.
Man City managed to win only seven matches and drew one during this phase. They remained in second place in the standings but were trailing behind the league leaders, Arsenal, by a significant margin, at times by as much as 8 points.
One of the reasons for this slump was the key striker Erling Haaland’s inability to maintain his goal-scoring form consistently, unlike in the early stages of the season. He experienced a goal drought, failing to score in 5 out of the 11 matches during Man City’s downturn.
Additionally, star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne surprisingly lost his form, which was cause for concern. It was likely due to his exertions in the 2022 World Cup. At times, Pep Guardiola even had to relegate him to the bench to provide him with rest.
At that time, few believed that Man City could defend their title in the top English competition, and Arsenal seemed poised to secure their first championship since 2004 with an unstoppable force.
A SPECTACULAR TURNAROUND
However, since their 0-1 defeat to Tottenham on February 5th, Man City never looked back. They surged straight to the top with an incredible run of form.
Pep Guardiola’s team is currently unbeaten in 14 consecutive matches (as of May 20th). During this period, they have only drawn one match (1-1 against Nottingham Forest). The rest have been victories, with Man City winning 13 matches.
Among these wins, there have been impressive victories such as a 3-1 win over Arsenal, a 2-0 win over Newcastle, a 4-1 win over Liverpool, and another 4-1 win over Arsenal, solidifying their position as the reigning champions of England.
It’s also worth mentioning that Arsenal unexpectedly faltered in the final stages of the season, with 5 losses and 4 draws since February 4th. The Gunners suffered two defeats to their direct competitor, Man City, and had a streak of 3 consecutive draws from Matchday 30 to Matchday 32.
Despite their efforts and determination, Mikel Arteta’s squad couldn’t halt their decline. The 0-1 loss to Nottingham Forest officially extinguished any hopes Arsenal had of catching up to Man City.
A DESERVED CHAMPIONSHIP
Arsenal had a commendable season, leading for 93% of the time. However, their strength was not enough to surpass Man City and claim the championship title in the top league of England.
In the end, Man City truly deserved to be crowned champions. They had the experienced Pep Guardiola as their manager, along with a highly talented squad. The team has been built strong over the years, and with the addition of a “sharpshooter” like Haaland, no one could stop them.
It’s important to mention that one crucial factor that allowed Man City to come from behind against Arsenal was their experience and resilience. The Gunners have gone nearly 20 years without a championship, while the Sky Blues have dominated English football in the past decade. They have become accustomed to the pressure of the title race, giving them the confidence and patience to emerge as the ultimate winners
