Manchester City: 2020-21 Premier League Champions
Relentless: A season like no other
Relentless: A season
like no other
Manchester City have been crowned Premier League Champions for the third time in four years.
Here, we look back on an extraordinary Premier League campaign that saw City find remarkable consistency against a backdrop of turbulence.
SEPTEMBER 2020
In the days leading up to our season-opener at Wolves, there was mixed news.
City Academy starlet Tommy Doyle signed a new four-year contract with the Club, reward for the fine progress he had made since joining City as an eight-year-old. “I see this place as my home,” he told CityTV. “I’ve been here so many years and to be offered a new contract was a massive thing for me. It was a no brainer to sign.”
However, Ilkay Gundogan tested positive for COVID-19 and had to observe a 10-day period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol, a pre-cursor to some of the difficulties we would face at the turn of the year. This would be a season like no other, with Gundogan’s situation providing a glimpse of the challenges that lay ahead for Pep Guardiola.
We won at Wolves, a side who had proven somewhat tricky the previous campaign when they took six points off us. Nathan Ake made his debut and impressed, and City looked sharp, despite having just five weeks rest between seasons and no pre-season friendlies to finetune.
But our second Premier League game of the season, at home to Leicester, was a chastening experience. The visitors scored five times, with City looking shaky at the back and giving away three penalties. Jamie Vardy, so often a menace up against City’s high defensive line, scored a hat-trick. Given the unprecedented standards City and Liverpool had set in the previous three campaigns, dropped Premier League points were now seen as almost fatal to a team’s title hopes. To part with three of the first six felt like a significant blow.
Two days later, a major signing was confirmed. Ruben Dias joined from Benfica, ending our search for a new centre-half. “To have the opportunity to join a club like Manchester City is fantastic for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” he said. “Their success speaks for itself. They have been the dominant team in England over the last few years, playing an attacking brand of football, which I feel suits my own game.”
Few people could have predicted the impact he would have.
OCTOBER 2020
October started with the news Kevin De Bruyne had been named UEFA Midfielder of the Season for the 2019/20 campaign. It was deserved recognition for a player now considered part of the elite.
On the field, the month was mixed. Dias made his debut as we drew away at newly-promoted Leeds and looked exceptional. But despite starting the game strongly and going ahead through Raheem Sterling, Rodrigo Moreno equalised with half an hour remaining of an entertaining game. A draw was a fair result.
A narrow 1-0 win over Arsenal sparked talk of an improvement, but that was followed by a 1-1 draw away at West Ham. One step forward, one step back. It was third time in five games City had dropped points and we were 12th in the table.
The final game of the month saw City earn a vital three points, beating Sheffield United away thanks to a solitary goal from Kyle Walker on his 100th Premier League appearance for the Club. City were up to eighth and looking more assured at the back thanks to Dias’ arrival, but lacking the pace and verve that had been the bedrock of our success in recent years.
November 2020
November started with a game against Liverpool at the Etihad. The two best sides in England, who had raised the bar in terms of what it takes to win a Premier League title over the previous three campaigns, going head to head. Mo Salah opened the scoring with a penalty, but Gabriel Jesus’ smart turn and finish brought City level after 30 minutes. De Bruyne’s missed penalty just before half time proved crucial. The game ended 1-1, and City sat 10th in the table with 12 points from seven games.
"It was a tight game,” Guardiola said afterwards. “We struggled in the first minutes because they had four players up front. Mane and Salah were playing between the lines, then we adjusted after and had more control.
"The way they played and the way we behaved in response was incredible. I'm so proud of my players. The difference today was they got a penalty and we missed a penalty."
Eleven days later, Guardiola penned a new deal – a seismic moment in the Club’s history. The two-year extension ties him to City until the summer of 2023. He would then have spent seven years at the Etihad, by far his longest stint as a manager. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was delighted, saying: “It is testament to the qualities of the man that Pep Guardiola’s passion and intelligent approach are now woven into the very fabric of the football we play and our culture as Club. That impact has been central to our success during his tenure and it is why I am delighted that he shares our view that there is so much more to be achieved both on and off the field.”
Since his arrival, Pep’s effect had been transformational. When signing the deal, he had won eight major trophies and set a series of significant records along the way. In total, the team had won 181 of the 245 matches under his in charge before agreeing the new contract – a win rate of 73.87 percent.
However, defeat away at Tottenham followed, a result that left City 11th in the table with serious questions about our title credentials being asked. Spurs were deserving of their win, they were by far the better side on the day, with City struggling to find anything close to our best form.
The month ended with a 5-0 win over Burnley.
DECEMBER 2020
The festive period started well, with City recording a 2-0 win over Fulham at the Etihad.
But then came back-to-back league draws and a meeting between the players and management that would change the course of our season, with the 0-0 draw in an uninspired derby at Old Trafford quickly followed by a 1-1 draw at home to West Brom. Not only were City dropping points, there was a lethargy to our performances.
Later in the season, Guardiola would explain the magnitude of those disappointing displays in changing the team’s outlook. “After that game I had a feeling this isn't a team I can recognise. I didn't like what I saw,” he said. “We could have won at Tottenham and West Bromwich, but I didn’t like [the way we played]. We talked with Juanma [Lillo], Rodolfo [Borrell], Manel [Estiarte], Txiki [Begiristain] and I said we have to come back to our first principle.”
Cue a significant upturn in form. The next game was a fine 1-0 win at in-form Southampton, a result that sparked a 15-game winning run. City moved up to sixth and had conceded just 12 goals in 13 league matches. Dias was excelling and we were about to find our groove.
Despite Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker testing positive for COVID-19, a Boxing Day victory at home to Newcastle United offered more evidence of our improving form and we finished 2020 fifth in the table.
Nick Banks
Nick Banks
JANUARY 2021
The dawn of a New Year heralded a major statement of intent from Pep Guardiola’s men as City embarked on a record-breaking run of Premier League form.
We set out our stall in emphatic fashion in our opening game of 2021 on January 3rd at Chelsea.
A City squad still shorn of several key players due to a COVID-19 outbreak, which had caused the postponement of our scheduled match at Everton, began 2021 in magnificent fashion as we secured a stunning 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne were all on target in what was our finest display of the season to date.
“I think today we showed we can win the big games,” De Bruyne declared afterwards.
But on January 5, our on-the-field focus was put to one side after the news of Colin Bell’s passing. Widely considered to be the finest City player of his generation having made 501 appearances and scoring 153 goals during a 13-year period, Colin died peacefully, aged 74, after a short non-Covid related illness, leaving behind wife Marie, children Jon and Dawn and grandchildren Luke, Mark, Isla and Jack.
Few players have left such an indelible mark on City, with his name still sung loudly at matches to this day. Known as Colin The King, in 2004 fans voted to name a stand inside the Etihad Stadium after the midfielder.
With the games coming thick and fast, a moment of magic from Phil Foden was then enough to see City overcome the challenge of Brighton 1-0 on January 13th as we hit the top four.
Four days later, Crystal Palace were dispatched 4-0 at the Etihad as Guardiola’s men claimed a fifth successive league win to power into the top two. A brace from John Stones was the catalyst with Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling also on target.
Aston Villa were next up at a rain-lashed Etihad and proved obdurate opponents before a late Bernardo Silva strike and Ilkay Gundogan penalty secured a 2-0 win.
With Guardiola’s side warming to their winter task, City then hit top spot for the first time on January 26th as another imperious display from Gundogan inspired a dominant 5-0 triumph at West Brom as the league campaign hit the halfway mark.
The German struck twice with Joao Cancelo, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez rounding things off.
And a perfect month ended with a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United thanks to Gabriel Jesus’s strike as City created English history by becoming the first side to win all nine games in a calendar month.
The Blades victory also saw Guardiola record his 500th career win as a manager.
FEBRUARY 2021
A new month but, on the field, it was business as usual as City eased to a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley that also saw us equal another Club record by recording a sixth consecutive clean sheet.
City then secured one of our most significant results in years as we buried our Anfield hoodoo in style by overpowering defending champions Liverpool 4-1.
City missed a first-half penalty before two Ilkay Gundogan goals and further goals from Raheem Sterling and the irrepressible Phil Foden completed the rout.
To put the achievement in perspective it was only our third success at Liverpool in 65 years – and first since 2003.
“I’m so proud of the guys who have broken a record that has stood for a long time, that shows how difficult it is,” a happy Guardiola reflected afterwards.
Gundogan’s remarkable goalscoring form continued as the German struck a brace with Rodrigo adding a penalty to help secure a fine 3-0 mid-February Premier League home win over Spurs.
Four days later, City moved 10 points clear at the top as we upped the title ante with an imperious 3-1 win at Everton.
Goals from Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva sealed the deal at Goodison as Guardiola’s side became the first English side to record 10 consecutive top-flight league wins at the start of a calendar year.
City then made it 18 straight wins in all competitions – and equalled our club record of 11 consecutive away victories – with a hard-fought 1-0 success at Arsenal. Raheem Sterling’s second minute header enough to secure a 13th successive league victory.
Another extraordinary month then ended just as City had begun it… in record-breaking fashion as West Ham were despatched 2-1 in a tense Etihad encounter.
Defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones proved their worth at the opposite end of the pitch as they weighed in with crucial goals to help blunt the Hammers.
It was a victory that saw City extend our English football record with a 20th win in succession and took us 13 points clear at the top of the table.
MARCh 2021
City departed the winter months with a spring in our step, kicking off March in style with three goals in the final ten minutes seeing off Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
The victory extended our winning run in all competitions to a phenomenal 21 matches, but that joy was short lived when Manchester United dealt us our first defeat since November.
City were stung by that 2-0 loss but responded in the best possible way when Southampton made the long journey north on Wednesday 10 March, three days after our Manchester Derby setback.
A brace apiece from the irrepressible duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez, plus a 12th Premier League goal of the season from Ilkay Gundogan, helped us on our way to an emphatic 5-2 triumph under the Etihad lights.
Building on a win and performance of that magnitude was essential, and that fact wasn’t lost on City when they travelled down to the capital that weekend to face Fulham.
With the games coming thick and fast, Pep Guardiola introduced a subtle tactical shift, opting for a 3-4-3 formation, and was rewarded when we blew the house down at Craven Cottage.
City moved 17 points clear at the summit and secured a club record-equalling 16th away match without defeat in a 3-0 win, courtesy of second half strikes from John Stones, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero, who notched his first Premier League goal in 14 months.
But it was a bittersweet end to the month for our record goalscorer, after it was announced that we would bid an emotional farewell to Aguero when his contract expires this summer.
APRIL 2021
As the business end of the season came crashing into view, City were greeted by the daunting prospect of a trip to the King Power Stadium to kick things off in April.
Leicester had taken 16 points off the ‘Big Six’ prior to our encounter, but Pep Guardiola’s men outfoxed the hosts, with Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus both on target in a flawless 2-0 win.
And the good news kept on coming, with talismanic midfielder Kevin De Bruyne putting pen to paper on a two-year contract extension four days later on Wednesday 7 April.
The Belgian committed his future to City until the summer of 2025, which will bring about a decade of stellar service.
We had the chance to cap off a successful week by moving to within eight points of the title when Leeds made the trip across the Pennines, but Stuart Dallas’ late sucker punch earned the visitors a shock 2-1 victory.
Undeterred, City set their sights on putting things right when they locked horns with Aston Villa, just four days before a Carabao Cup final berth against Tottenham Hotspur.
In an action-packed clash with the Villans, in which John McGinn put the hosts ahead inside 20 seconds and both John Stones and Matty Cash saw red, Foden and Rodrigo’s first half strikes were enough to seal an heroic 2-1 win.
Victory at Villa Park provided ample evidence that, even when not at our best, City still have the substance to match our widely acclaimed style.
MAY 2021
Dreams of a third title in four seasons were edging nearer to reality with one last triumph over Crystal Palace, accompanied by favourable results elsewhere, sufficient to clinch top spot.
And a cagey affair at Selhurst Park burst into life just before the hour when the irrepressible Aguero smashed an emphatic finish into the roof of the net, before Ferran Torres rounded off the scoring just 83 seconds later.
We’d held up our side of the bargain, with all eyes now firmly fixed on the outcome of Sunday’s clash between Manchester United and Liverpool.
An away win would see the reigning champions pass the crown back to Pep Guardiola’s men, but a fan protest in and around Old Trafford ahead of kick-off saw the match postponed before it could get under way.
Although the champagne had to be put back on ice, it presented City with the chance to secure the title of our own volition - and on our own patch – when we faced Chelsea the following weekend.
But Chelsea prevailed, delaying the party once more. United then went to Aston Villa and won, but succumbed two days later when Leicester went to Old Trafford and emerged victorious, handing City the title.
“This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other. This was the hardest one. We will always remember this season for the way that we won. I am so proud to be the manager here and of this group of players.
“They are so special. To come through this season – with all the restrictions and difficulties we’ve faced – and show the consistency we have is remarkable.
A season like no other, for sure. The global health pandemic has seen us play matches without our fans there to cheer us on, and the truncated calendar meant a brutal, unrelenting schedule. Rarely has a week passed without a midweek fixture to contend with.
The passing Colin Bell, a player and person held in the highest regard by everyone connected to Manchester City Football Club, rocked our foundations mid-season.
But we emerged victorious, stronger than ever before, and with a maiden Champions League final to look forward to at the end of the month.
A season of challenges, the likes of which we’ve never seen. But at the end of it, a Premier League title – our third in four seasons.
It’s been one hell of a ride and it’s dedicated to our wonderful fans, whose love and passion from afar helped the players keep going – and Colin Bell and his family.
We’ll never forget him – or this remarkable season.
MAY 2021
Dreams of a third title in four seasons were edging nearer to reality with one last triumph over Crystal Palace, accompanied by favourable results elsewhere, sufficient to clinch top spot.
And a cagey affair at Selhurst Park burst into life just before the hour when the irrepressible Aguero smashed an emphatic finish into the roof of the net, before Ferran Torres rounded off the scoring just 83 seconds later.
We’d held up our side of the bargain, with all eyes now firmly fixed on the outcome of Sunday’s clash between Manchester United and Liverpool.
An away win would see the reigning champions pass the crown back to Pep Guardiola’s men, but a fan protest in and around Old Trafford ahead of kick-off saw the match postponed before it could get under way.
Although the champagne had to be put back on ice, it presented City with the chance to secure the title of our own volition - and on our own patch – when we faced Chelsea the following weekend.
But Chelsea prevailed, delaying the party once more. United then went to Aston Villa and won, but succumbed two days later when Leicester went to Old Trafford and emerged victorious, handing City the title.
“This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other. This was the hardest one. We will always remember this season for the way that we won. I am so proud to be the manager here and of this group of players.
“They are so special. To come through this season – with all the restrictions and difficulties we’ve faced – and show the consistency we have is remarkable.
A season like no other, for sure. The global health pandemic has seen us play matches without our fans there to cheer us on, and the truncated calendar meant a brutal, unrelenting schedule. Rarely has a week passed without a midweek fixture to contend with.
The passing Colin Bell, a player and person held in the highest regard by everyone connected to Manchester City Football Club, rocked our foundations mid-season.
But we emerged victorious, stronger than ever before, and with a maiden Champions League final to look forward to at the end of the month.
A season of challenges, the likes of which we’ve never seen. But at the end of it, a Premier League title – our third in four seasons.
It’s been one hell of a ride and it’s dedicated to our wonderful fans, whose love and passion from afar helped the players keep going – and Colin Bell and his family.
We’ll never forget him – or this remarkable season.
By Robert Pollard, Neil Leigh and George Kelsey
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