INVINCIBLES
FIFTEEN games into a Premier League season might usually be a bit early to be making grand protestations, but then City are teaching us that the normal rules no longer apply.
So here goes: If the Blues escape Stamford Bridge without defeat on Saturday night then they will be within touching distance of becoming the third ‘Invincibles’ in English football, behind the Preston North End side of 1888/89 and the Arsenal of 2003/04.
This weekend’s trip to a Chelsea side that had started well under Maurizio Sarri before stuttering of late is the last major hurdle facing Pep Guardiola’s side.
Already they have been to Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool and avoided defeat this season. If they add Chelsea to that list then who is left to stop City?
Perhaps only themselves. There have been signs in the wins over Bournemouth and Watford that Guardiola’s side can switch off for spells in games. But the boss is determined his team will learn from those lapses and if history begins to heave into view then that will sharpen the senses.
City are well on their way to becoming one of the greatest teams English football has ever seen. Invincibility will only reinforce that.
Even if they repeat last season’s fine win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night, don’t expect Guardiola and his players to proclaim the path to achieving that status has opened up. Instead, we will have to do it for them.
City will be wary of what happened last term, when they were still unbeaten heading into the New Year only to end up losing twice.
But they’ve already confronted any demons from those games. They’ve been back to Anfield, scene of a 4-3 defeat in January, and come away with a goalless draw, while revenge for last season’s derby defeat at the Etihad was sweet, with United beaten 3-1.
It’s hard to see how any side away from the traditional big six can trouble the champions. City have been devastating against the rest of the Premier League this season. Wherever they play these sides the outcome is becoming remarkably familiar.
That leaves it down to Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea or United to try and sabotage City’s unbeaten status. After the weekend’s trip to west London, City will only have to visit Old Trafford this season, with the second derby of the campaign taking place in March. You can never be too sure what’s going to happen on derby day but on current form a trip across Manchester would hold no fears for City. City have cleared the largest hurdles in their way, aside from Stamford Bridge. If they travel back north with at least a point this weekend then it’s another significant date in the calendar ticked off. Liverpool at the Etihad in January, Arsenal and Chelsea at the Etihad in successive weeks in early February, United at Old Trafford in March and Tottenham at home in April. There aren’t many fixtures left where you can see this City side coming unstuck. If they can navigate a way around the Bridge on Saturday evening then history could await in May.