The Untouchables - Are Pep's Manchester City side the best in Premier League history?

After rolling over Everton at Goodison Park, Manchester City are one win away from history. A win in the Manchester Derby in the coming weekend will secure the Premier League title in record time. Right now Pep's men side sit 16 points clear with eight games to go, and the margin has been substantial for most of the campaign. While everyone below them has been dropping points, City have been winning football matches. Only losing one game all season, and drawing just three, the so far illusive 100 point mark is within their grasp. A minimum of five wins and one draw will make The Citizens the first Premier League side to ever hit 100 points, but will it make them the best?

Pep Guardiola was called a fraud by many after his lacklustre first season in charge of City, and now on for a potential treble, he's left his neigh-sayer's red in the face. The question of the best of all time is thrown around way too often in football. Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo dominates the conversation in the minds of modern day football fans. But with so many changes in style football has undergone over the years, picking the best of all time is a tall order. However, with the Premier League starting in 1992, only 26 years ago, picking the best Premier League side of all time is much more accomplishable.

THE INVINCIBLES!

That is what any Arsenal fan reading this article would have been screaming since they clicked on it. I went into a lot of detail in an article I had published at THE VERSED (FKA Clickon Sports) about why the Invincible's were not as great as you remember. That same article was posted on this blog last October so feel free to click off this and give it a read but to quickly put this argument to rest. A lack of points when compared to other champions. A lack of goals when compared to other champions. A style of play towards the end of the campaign which SCREAMED fear of losing. Speaking of losing, LOSING the biggest game of the season in the Champions League to Chelsea. If you aren't convinced check out my full article on the matter, but although historic, Arsenal's Invinicbles are not the greatest. Sorry.

Now that's out the way let me explain why I believe Pep's City have a very strong case.

Anyone with a footballing brain can appreciate how Guardiola not only manages his side, but
coaches individual players on how to reach their full potential. Raheem Sterling being a prime example. Since the 2013/2014 season at Liverpool, Sterling has floundered, living off of his potential. Rumours off a move to Arsenal in part exchange for Alexis at the start of the season added more fuel to the fire. But now, with the current season still going strong, Sterling is enjoying his best year yet. A guaranteed starter with over 20 goals this campaign, and a shoe in for the World Cup. His erratic movements have been replaced with finely timed and methodically thought out runs. His sloppy final balls it no more, 16 league goals speaks for itself. Perhaps more clearly then any other player, Guardiola has been there to put an arm around the young winger and keep guiding him. Whether in training or mid way through a match, an arm around the shoulder and words of encouragement makes any player feel like gold. Sterling oozes confidence, and it is no coincidence that it coincides with Pep getting is team to play his way.

Speaking of Pep's way. City's Brazilian keeper Ederson was quoted stating that his side's tactics bring joy to all football fans. And he isn't wrong. An incredibly high pressing style, reminiscent of that of Pep's Barcelona side, forces opposition into submission. Keeping the ball away from their goal, and in the rare occasion Ederson does find the ball in his possession, a 60 yard cross field pass is one of the many strings to his bow. David Silva has been having a career defining season in midfield, when many tipped him to be on the way out. A Spaniard over looked for years in the Premier League now can not be ignored. Alongside Fernandinho who has been consistently solid, sometimes going un-noticed but never in a bad way. Of course the talisman Kevin De-Bruyne running the show will draw the headlines, and rightfully so, he's sublime. But every single player in the starting eleven is there because they fit the system. Sane and Sterling have been untouchable down the wings, and are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were 12 months ago.

You can criticise City for 'buying the league' but instead of just throwing money at star names like Arsenal and Manchester United have done this season, they've spend big on players who make their system fit. £50 million on a right back is ludicrous right? Is it when Kyle Walker has been comfortably the best wing back in the league all season and has been a nightmare of any opposition flank that has came across him. The same to be said about £60 million on a centre back right? Laporte has slotted into a defence that has been the stand out this campaign, after being called out for being shaky over the last couple of years. Very little has been spent going forward, and that's because Pep KNEW where the weaknesses were, and fixed them. Yes he had the financial means to bring in the best players, but so do Arsenal and they're in 6th. Pep and his team also has the tactical know how to spot and bring in appropriate targets.

Now into some good old fashion statistics. As mentioned, a win for City this coming week would mean they have secured the title quicker then any other side in Premier League history, which is historic in itself. Also as I mentioned, the form table would indicate that the champions will finish with over 100 points for the first time in Premier League history. Which wasn't even done in the old 42 game season format. Moving away from points. If the season was the end right now, they would have scored more then any of the champions from the last four years. And remember there is seven games to play, the record is in sight. 103 goals is the current record, held by Chelsea's 2010 title winning side. An average of two goals a game would ensure they beat that amount; so far they've averaged 2.8 per game. Switching lanes to defence, City would have to concede 8 more goals between now and the end of the season to end with the joint best defence of the decade. Any less and of course they'd end as the best defensive champions in recent times. With an average of 0.6 goals conceded per game, it's likely they'll hold that record as well.

So broken down, the stats point to Manchester City's 2017/2018 team - Winning the Premier League title, finishing with over 100 points which has never been done before, as well as winning it with 6 games to spare which is a record. On top of that - breaking the record for most Premier League goals scored in a season, and registering the best defensive record in the past decade (fourth best record for the champions this century.)

Now moving away from stats. City play with a style that is eye catching, and enjoyable for any football fan to take in. A style similar to that of the great Barcelona side of 2009-2011, said to be the best club side in European history. During a season when some of England's big guns have been torn apart by the media for playing unattractive and boring football, Pep's men have not only been entertaining, but incredible efficient. One league defeat makes them the second most winningest side currently in Europe's top five leagues this season, only behind the unbeaten Barcelona. With English football under constant scrutiny recently, Manchester City are a shining light. World class players from back to front. World beaters like KDB and Sergio Aguero. Breakthrough superstars like Sane, Sterling and Jesus. Proven masters such as David Silva and Vincent Kompany, The Citizens have it all.

A Champions League quarter final Wednesday 5th April is so far Pep's and City's biggest game of the season, a huge test away at Anfield. A reply of the one Premier League fixture they have lost this season. Nearly impossible to call (But I did, check out my most recent article). But win, lose or draw in Europe, a domestic season to remember Manchester City have put in. The best side in Premier League history? It's hard to argue against it.

Arsenal's 'Invincibles' - Why they weren't as great as you remember.

During the 20 seasons of Premier League awards back in 2012, Arsenal’s famous 2003/2004 side, more commonly known as the ‘Invincibles’, were voted as the best Premier League side in history.

It’s easy to see why, with top scorer Thierry Henry at the peak of his powers, Sol Campbell bossing proceedings from the back, and the pairing of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva dominating midfield, the spine of the team was unparalleled. Frenchman Robert Pires and maverick Freddie Ljungberg tormenting full backs across the country, no one could stop the Gunners.

This is how they are remembered by the vast masses, but not quite how they should be remembered.

Arsenal ended their 2003/2004 campaign with 90 points, which is no doubt a very impressive points haul for the season. Just 12 months later, however, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side finished their title-winning season with 95 points – five more than the Gunners.

So, if just 12 months after Wenger’s side finished with 90 points, Chelsea racked up more points then Arsenal, over the same amount of games, playing a lot of the same sides, Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ side were not as good as the champions that followed them.

In fact, Arsenal’s total of 90 points during their famous season is only the sixth-highest points total in Premier League history. With Chelsea ending the league season with more the 90 points on three separate occasions, and Manchester United doing it twice.

Now, moving away from points and onto goals, to be precise, how few goals Arsenal scored during the season. During the 2003/2004 season the North London club had, at their disposal, one of the greatest striking partnerships in the league’s history: Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Henry finished the season as Golden Boot winner with 30 league goals, and with the Frenchman leading the line Arsenal ended the campaign with 73 goals which, when put into context, is incredibly low for a title-winning side. In fact, in the 13 seasons that have followed the ‘Invincibles’, only on four occasions have the champions failed to score less then 73 league goals, and only twice in the last decade.

With such attacking power how did Arsenal only manage 73 goals?

Wenger and his side played out the end of the season to avoid defeat. Now, throughout most of the season, Arsenal went out to play and they went out to win. But it was later on in the season where this point comes into play.

Four draws from their last six games shows two things: going unbeaten was firmly on the minds of the players, the coaching staff, everyone who was involved with the club – going unbeaten was the priority. It also shows that playing entertaining football and sending the fans home happy was not at the forefront of the thinking for the men in charge.

In fact, in the last six games of the campaign Arsenal, with Thierry Henry leading the line, only managed six goals. That’s an average of one goal-per-game; to put that into context only one side in the ENTIRE division had an average of one goal-per-game that season. That side was Wolverhampton Wanderers and they finished bottom.

Invincible means, too powerful to be defeated or overcome. Despite playing our their league season unbeaten, in all competitions Arsenal found themselves on the losing side in some of their biggest games.

During the course of the campaign, Arsenal actually lost to three Premier League sides. Starting with defeats home and away to Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup semi-finals – Arsenal came into the game with their eyes on the first piece of silverware of the domestic season.

The opportunity was there for Arsenal to send out a message to the other top sides in England; that the Gunners meant business. It was clear that Arsenal were looking past Steve McClaren’s side, and the underdogs walked away 3-1 victors on aggregate.

FA Cup semi final vs Manchester United, another massive game for Arsenal. But unlike in their league fixtures, the game had to have an outright winner. Arsenal really went for broke during this encounter with their old rivals. But without frontman Thierry Henry the red half of North London lacked that cutting edge. That same cutting edge their opponents had in abundance and Paul Scholes scored the only goal of the game to send United to the final.

What was to follow was Arsenal’s biggest game of the season; a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. After a 1-1 draw at the Bridge, Arsenal welcomed Chelsea to Highbury – firmly in the driver’s seat with an away goal to their name.

Wenger’s men faced their biggest task of the campaign on the biggest stage, and only days after falling out of the FA Cup to Manchester United the chance was there for Arsenal to really show their class. And a victory against Chelsea would have given them a huge opportunity to capture their first ever European Cup.

On the night, however, everything that had come before in the league meant nothing. Wayne Bridge scored the winner for Chelsea as Arsenal exited their second competition in the space of a week; when push came to shove, Arsenal lacked something.

Arsenal did manage to go the entire league season without suffering defeat, an incredibly accomplishment; this was achieved with some rather dubious methods. Portsmouth travelled to Highbury in September 2003, and took an early lead against the Gunners.

While driving into the box, Robert Pires dived to win a penalty, which Henry slotted away to equalise. In the years that followed the manager himself openly admitted to Pires’ dive, whereas after the game the man involved came out and denied the dive. The French wide man said it was:

“…not the way he played and that he was not a cheat.”

Because they did not lose a game, the Arsenal Invincibles are seen as the greatest Premier League side in history. They went unbeaten, that fact is not debatable – but do the maths for one moment. You could go an entire season unbeaten, and still go down, finishing on 38 points – two off the magic 40-point target sides battling the drop aim for. Football is about winning, not avoiding defeat and the 2003/2004 Arsenal side played to avoid defeat throughout much of the key stages of their season.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger simply took advantage of what was a poor season in terms of standard of football to achieve what they did. Much like Leicester City in 2016, they won the title without being a truly remarkable team.

It’s unlikely that another side will ever go an entire Premier League season unbeaten. This is not because no side could ever do it, but because the very best sides don’t need to go unbeaten to be seen as the very best.