Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GAME OF THRONES
Aguero insists champions City are already planning hat-trick of title triumphs and focusing on firing in Europe... AT LAST
United won their fourth Premier League title in 1996-97, and with it began a long-running feud with Arsenal, who challenged them that season but finished third.
The battles that ensued between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, and Ruud van Nistelrooy and Martin Keown became legendary.
The following season, the Gunners took the title by a point from United before the Old Trafford side rebounded with three titles in a row – each time with Arsenal having to settle for second. The first was by a single point, but the next two were by 19 points and 10 points.
Arsenal won it in 2001-02 and United in 2002-03, only for the Gunners not only to win it again in 2003-04 but for the Invincibles to do it without losing a game.
Arsenal’s demise owed as much to the rise of Chelsea as the dominance of United, as Jose Mourinho won the league in his first two seasons at the Blues.
Sir Alex Ferguson responded by winning three titles in a row (while Mourinho got sacked), but Chelsea recovered to be champs in 200910, only for United to succeed them.
City won their first Premier League crown with Sergio Aguero’s goal. United took it back in 2013 on Fergie’s swansong before handing it back to City. Chelsea won two of the next three and City have been in charge again for two seasons. SERGIO AGUERO has insisted Manchester City have already set their sights on winning the Champions League next season.
Despite City being on course to win the domestic Treble, Aguero admitted the season is also tinged with disappointment because they went out of Europe at the quarter-final stage.
Aguero believes players will not get recognition for awards, like the Ballon d’or, unless they win the Champions League.
The City striker said: “Obviously, our objective this year was also to fight for the Champions League, but these things happen in football.
“We were out by such a small margin, by an elbow that was offside. But next season, we will try to fight until the end. At the end of the day, for the Ballon d’or, I think you have to be in the Champions League, no matter what.”
Aguero also believes the turning point in the Premier League title race came at the Etihad on January 3, when City beat Liverpool. Aguero added: “We knew that our only option was to win. I think the key was in January, when we beat them and managed to get a few points closer, and after that it was a question of them drawing a few games.
“We knew Liverpool were always there in the fight but, luckily, we could just think about ourselves and we knew that we had to win.
“I’m happy with my fourth Premier League title and I hope it goes on like this.” Riyad Mahrez finished the season as a title winner but, despite being City’s £60million record buy, has struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular.
The former Leicester winger (left) has now won two Premier League titles and says there is no way he will quit City. He said: “It’s not easy to come to a team who are settled, have the players who play. That squad did everything last season. I knew it wouldn’t be easy in my first year, but I’m very confident in myself and have no doubts about my quality.
“I’m very happy here. I’m not going somewhere else because I don’t play. It’s part of the game. I need to be strong, stay strong. It’s part of my personality, I never hide away from things.
“I’m very, very happy. It’s an amazing feeling. I think we deserved to win it, but we have to give credit to Liverpool, and thank them, because they are an amazing team as well. We were a bit better, 98 points over 97.
“We’ve won 198 points in two seasons, so what can you say? I hope we’re going to do the treble.
“We’re going to enjoy first the double and then we’ll see.”