Manchester City have won six Premier League titles under legendary manager Pep Guardiola. Two of them came at a canter: The centurions of 2017/18 finished some 19 points clear of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United, and the Blues would finish 12 points clear of those same cross-city rivals three years later. The other four crowns, however, have come after titanic title battles, much like the one we are witnessing right now.
Barely a month ago, Pep's boys were some 12 points behind runaway league leaders Arsenal and a rank outsider with online betting sites to reel in the Gunners. Then, Mikel Arteta's side began dropping points, culminating with a 2-1 defeat to City at the Etihad, which saw their stranglehold on the title unravel. The Blues would move to the top of the table three days later with a 1-0 victory away at Burnley, but uncharacteristically, they too have since slipped up.
Everton Draw Hands Arsenal the Initiative
City managed to rescue a 3-3 draw in their recent trip to Everton, with Jeremy Doku's stunning 95th-minute equaliser securing an unlikely point after the Blues trailed 3-1 with just eight minutes remaining. Usually, that would be considered a good result in the circumstances, but in a title race this tight, it was a case of two points dropped as opposed to one point gained. Now, the Blues find themselves five points behind Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand, and are once again firm outsiders with the bookies.
The latest soccer betting at Bovada odds currently make the table-topping Gunners a clear 1/5 favourite to secure their first title since 2004, with City a 7/2 outsider. But here is something that should give Blues supporters hope: In all four of the difficult title battles Pep Guardiola has successfully emerged from, his opponent slipped up at a crucial stage.
Merseyside Derby Stalemate
Manchester City had to be perfect to beat Liverpool to the title in 2018/19, and for the final 14 games of the season, they were. The Reds held an early advantage and, after their riveting 4-3 victory at home to Crystal Palace on January 19th, were five points clear of Guardiola's side. Then, the Merseysiders began to stumble, drawing three of their next five games to surrender their advantage entirely.
But their biggest slip-up of them all came on March 3rd. Liverpool drew 0-0 away at local rivals Everton, their fourth draw in six games. 24 hours prior, City grinded out a 1-0 win away at Bournemouth, with Riyad Mahrez's second-half strike sending the Blues to the top of the table for the first time since December. It was an advantage they wouldn't surrender.
Both City and Liverpool won all nine of their remaining games, resulting in the Blues claiming the title on the final day of the season by just one point. The Reds' haul of 97 points was the third highest ever assembled, but it wasn't enough to down Guardiola's juggernaut.
Spurs Stop Liverpool in Their Tracks
Three years later, Pep's Blues and Jurgen Klopp's Reds did battle once again, and once more just one point separated the two teams at the end of the campaign. And again, it was City who came out on top.
City were at the top of the table, but Liverpool were hot on their heels, and if they could defeat Tottenham Hotspur, so often a thorn in Manchester City's side, at Anfield on May 7th, they would move to the top of the table. Instead, Son Heung-Min would secure a priceless point for the visitors, and 24 hours later, City thumped Newcastle 5-0 at the Etihad to hand the title race its definitive turn.
The Blues did very nearly surrender the advantage themselves, though. They drew 2-2 away at West Ham in the penultimate game of the season to cut the deficit to just one point, before falling 2-0 down to Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa on the final day of the season. As we all remember, though, City reeled off three goals in five wild second-half minutes to secure the 3-2 win and the title.
Rock Bottom Southampton Crush Arsenal's Title Hopes
By 2022/23, a new title challenger emerged in the form of Arsenal, managed by Guardiola's former assistant Mikel Arteta. A 4-1 victory against Leeds United on matchday 29 put the Gunners eight points clear of Manchester City with just nine games remaining. However, with the Blues having a game in hand and the two title protagonists set to meet before the end of that campaign, the deficit could have been cut to just two points.
In the end, City would need neither their game in hand nor the game between the two teams. Arsenal slumped to three straight draws, with the most damning of them being a 3-3 stalemate at home to rock bottom Southampton, a team on the brink of relegation. City would thump the Gunners 4-1 when the two teams met at the Etihad days later, securing the first third of an epic treble which culminated in a maiden Champions League triumph in Istanbul.
Villans Break Arsenal Hearts
A year later, Arsenal returned stronger, and they were determined that this time around, they wouldn't slip up. In true Gunners fashion, however, they would.
Manchester City moved to the top of the table for the first time since November after beating Luton Town 5-1 on April 13th; however, they would fall behind both Liverpool and Arsenal if both sides won their respective games the following day. Klopp's Reds would then shockingly lose at home to Crystal Palace, meaning that it would be the Gunners who would take the outright lead in the title race with just five games remaining if they could beat Aston Villa at home.
Instead, the Villans, managed by much-maligned former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, would leave North London with a stunning 2-0 win, after late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins. Both the Gunners and City would win each of their remaining fixtures, ensuring that Guardiola's men claimed the title by just two points. Will there be a similar twist in 2026? The Blues faithful will certainly be praying for one.