Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PEP’S CITY SHEIKH-UP
A decade of Prem rule... but dominating Europe still elusive dream for Mansour
IT will be remembered as the decade Manchester City became the dominant force in the Premier League.
But the aim at the Etihad is for the Blues to become kings of Europe.
City go into today’s clash with Sheffield United at the Etihad in a league of their own when it comes to titles, trophies, points and goals over the last 10 years.
Champions four times – including back-to-back triumphs in which Pep Guardiola’s team shattered almost every record in the book – two FA Cup successes and winners of the League Cup on four occasions.
Including the Community Shield, they have landed seven of the last eight domestic trophies available.
City are also the only English club to have qualified for the Champions League for every one of the past nine seasons.
Yet the one major disappointment for the club’s Abu Dhabi owners has been the lack of success in Europe – even though City’s fans have a love-hate relationship with UEFA competitions.
Guardiola has admitted that for the Blues to become the global force Sheikh Mansour (above, right) envisaged when he bought the club in 2008, they must win the Champions League.
Guardiola said: “Manchester City have only been big in the last decade, so we are new in this situation.
“If we win the Champions League, we will have arrived, but it is so complicated and so difficult. The Champions League is about arriving in the right moment – and you also need some luck.
“A goal that is four inches offside, refereeing decisions, arriving in the later stages without a lot of injuries – or the other team may be better than you on the night.
“There are so many things that you cannot control – and normally when you have history behind you, that also helps a lot.
“I think we will be closer to achieving things in Europe when we have more Premier League titles.
“That is the process that Manchester City have to go through. To maintain the health and focus of the team, it’s the Premier League that is always the most important thing because it is every weekend.
“But, of course, we would like to win the Champions League. To be remembered outside England, you have to win in Europe.”
City have only been beyond the quarter-final stage in the Champions League once – surrendering meekly to Real Madrid 1-0 on aggregate in the 2016 semi-finals under Manuel Pellegrini.
Guardiola was eliminated in the last 16 by Monaco in his first season. And the last two years have seen City knocked out in the quarters by Liverpool and Tottenham.
The last-16 draw this time has pitted them against Real Madrid and given them the task of overcoming the sort of history that their manager feels is against them.
City must overcome a huge points gap if they are to overhaul Liverpool and begin the new decade by retaining the Premier League title for a third successive season.
But even if they fall short this time the stats show they have utterly changed the landscape of English football since 2010.
In 380 games they have amassed 815 points – 68 more than Manchester United. Their 250 wins are 30 more than next-best rivals and they have drawn the fewest games and suffered just 65 defeats.
City have scored 843 goals – 129 more than Liverpool – and conceded 342, which is 30 fewer than United.
And their overall goal difference of 501 is far better than any other club.