Premier League 2021-22: 3 key factors which contributed to Manchester City's title win
Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3-2 in their last Premier League match on Sunday (May 22) to win their fourth title in five years. City finished only one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool to mark a thrilling finale to the Premier League season.
Premier League Champions 21/22!!! 🏆💙 https://t.co/FzOuKblPZd
Pep Guardiola has now become one of the very few managers to win 10 or more domestic league titles. Despite their inability to win the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City continue to be one of the most consistent sides in European football.
On that note, we would take a look at three key factors which contributed to City’s title win this season:
#3 Possession-oriented playing style and lethal attack
Manchester City’s possession-oriented approach means that they are almost always the dominant team irrespective of their opponents. It also means that they can usually play with a high defensive line and thereby increase their numbers in the opposition half.
As a result, even their defensive players can adopt an advanced position on the pitch and help in forming their attacks. The defensive midfielders do not have to worry about falling back too much as most of the action takes place inside the opposition half. They also have a lethal attack comprising of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden.
Manchester City also boasts an impressive central midfield duo in the form of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, both of whom would walk into the starting eleven of any team in the world.
De Bruyne was yet again adjudged the PFA Player of the Year this season. He has an exceptional work rate along with excellent passing and shooting skills to create or finish moves.
#2 Plethora of goal-scorers in the team
Manchester City have scored 99 goals, which is the highest in the league this season, and five more than Liverpool have scored. They have had goals coming from Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri, who primarily play as defensive midfielders. The duo have chipped in with eight and seven goals in the league, respectively.
Moreover, De Bruyne (15), Mahrez (13) and Sterling (11) have all reached double digits. Phil Foden, who has been adjudged the Young Footballer of the Year this season, and Jesus have nine and eight goals in the league, respectively.
City also have centre-backs who are very capable of scoring goals with headers from free-kicks and corners. This means that their opponent are rarely able to keep a clean sheet. All of this has enabled City to win 29 of the 38 matches in the league this season.
#1 Great depth in the squad
Injury problems have continuously plagued the Sky Blues this season. Centre-backs like Ruben Dias and John Stones have missed several matches owing to injuries. De Bruyne has also missed quite a few matches midway through the season while an injury to Kyle Walker has also troubled City to some extent.
However, Manchester City’s bench strength has meant that they have been able to overcome those problems.
Nathan Ake has risen to the occasion and done his bit by playing as a centre-back as well as a left-back at times. Gundogan came on as a substitute and scored a brace to help them win their final match of the league. Players like Sterling and Grealish have also made an impact by coming on as substitutes on a regular basis.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has proved his mettle whenever he has been given a chance and registered an assist against Villa on Sunday. Guardiola has been able to call on the services of his fringe players and also rotate his attacking players throughout the season.