For the manager of Manchester City, an exhilarating tunnel of successive wins is about to turn into a hall of mirrors.
If City keep extending the run of 21 victories, the latest the 4-1 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pep Guardiola will glimpse reflections of his past at every milestone.
Win Sunday’s derby and Guardiola will not only inflict a decisive wound on Manchester United’s dwindling Premier League title hopes, but also dent the pride of an eternal rival.
Twenty-two successive triumphs is a modern landmark set by Real Madrid in 2014-15 and, until last year, represented the best run of a club in the top five European leagues. Anything that eclipses a Madrid achievement has a special resonance for a born-and-bred Barcelonista like Guardiola.
Should City follow up three points at home to United with another three against Southampton, Guardiola, formerly manager at Bayern Munich, will draw level with a Bayern milestone – the 23 wins the German Treble-winners compiled in 2019-20. Also on the horizon are longer-standing records associated with two major influences on Guardiola’s career, Louis Van Gaal and Johan Cruyff.
Guardiola says he pays little attention to records that do not come accompanied with trophies, but, speaking ahead of the victory over Wolves, he namechecked Madrid’s famous run. It was built by a Real who then held the European Cup, having brushed aside Guardiola’s Bayern brutally – 5-0 on aggregate in the semi-final – on the way to that prize.
The following season the Madrid machine, guided by Carlo Ancelotti, clicked into top gear as they began the defence of their European prize, with a 5-1 win against Basel; 22 victories later, they were lifting the Club World Cup.
There are points of comparison with City’s current dominance. Madrid had actually made a very poor start to 2014-15, winning just one and losing three of their first five domestic matches.
Surreal though it now seems, Guardiola’s English champions-elect are bouncing back from City’s worst start to a league season for 12 years. Like Madrid six years ago, City are confronting a condensed calendar.
As European champions and Copa del Rey holders, Ancelotti’s squad had the extra commitment of two Super Cups and the Club World Cup. City, still in both domestic Cups and the Champions League, are tackling a packed fixture list because the pandemic delayed the start to the season.
Ancelotti’s Madrid squad, like City’s, had enviable options across the attacking and creative positions. Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez, stars of the 2014 World Cup, had just joined. There was the so-called ‘BBC’ up front, B for [Gareth] Bale, B for [Karim] Benzema, C for Cristiano [Ronaldo].
But here’s the striking distinction between Ancelotti’s unstoppables and Guardiola’s juggernaut – the role of the spearhead striker. Ronaldo scored 28 times in those 22 matches, “a huge advantage for us,” Ancelotti acknowledged.
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City 4 Wolves 1: player ratings
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MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson, 6 – Had one save to make in the first 68 minutes and didn’t make it as Conor Coady’s pinpoint header crept into the corner. Thankful to see Pedro Neto head over late on before City finished with a flurry. EPA -
Kyle Walker, 7 - Forced a dramatic fourth late on when his fizzed low cross from the right was deflected by Coady and Gabriel Jesus was on hand to finish. Reuters -
Ruben Dias, 6 – Produced an important block to deny Adama Traore but didn’t have a great deal else to do in another comfortable outing. AFP -
Aymeric Laporte, 6 - Brought into the starting XI at the expense of John Stones and thought he’d become the third City centre-back to get on the scoresheet in just two games, only for VAR to chalk off what would have been the perfect poacher’s finish. Getty -
Joao Cancelo, 7 – Saw more of the ball than anyone in the opening ten minutes and was frequently at the heart of free-flowing attacks in another high-energy display. Free to attack the Wolves penalty area and was up to the task of marshalling Neto at the other end. Getty -
Kevin de Bruyne, 7 - Like Cancelo, he was involved in almost everything in the opening stages. The Belgian asked questions of the Wolves centre-backs with a collection of hanging crosses and saw a strike of his own deflected wide of Rui Patricio’s right post. Rusty, but still classy. EPA -
Rodri, 6 - A sublime pass from Rodri that picked out Mahrez in space on the right for the opener. He could have undone his hard work when he clipped Joao Moutinho who got back to his feet to assist the equaliser. PA -
Bernardo Silva, 8 - Raced back to the halfway line to steal back possession when Wolves looked to counter early. Twice denied an attacking return by the excellent Patricio who kept out his downward header before thwarting Jesus who had been cleverly slipped through by the midfielder. EPA -
Riyad Mahrez, 9 - Wolves defenders were up against it all night with Mahrez, who crafted the opener when he stole a yard on Jonny and fired in a low cross which Dendoncker stabbed into his own goal. Capped a fine evening with a smart finish into the corner to kill the game. EPA -
Gabriel Jesus, 7 - Not enough questions asked of Patricio in the opening 80 minutes, but then finished with a flurry and ended the night with a well-taken brace. EPA -
Raheem Sterling, 8 - Early cut-back was hacked away by Coady, but the forward’s presence was enough to panic Dendoncker who diverted the ball past Patricio. Clipped the outside of the post with a stunning effort in the 78th minute. Getty -
SUB: Ilkay Gundogan, N/R - Replaced Bernardo Silva for the final six minutes and still had an important contribution to make when he tracked back to clear away Neto’s inviting delivery before his effort was spilled by Patricio and converted by Jesus. EPA -
WOLVES RATINGS: Rui Patricio, 7 – Produced a hat-trick of super stops to keep out efforts from Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Jesus before denying Mahrez with another flying save to his right. Comfortably his side’s man of the match despite conceding four goals. AFP -
Ki-Jana Hoever, 5 - Didn’t enjoy himself too much against a City side who were clearly in the mood. He did his best to press de Bruyne but the City No 17 was just too classy. The one time he was able to push forward he could only put his cross into the stand. AP -
Romain Saiss, 5 – Didn’t do too much wrong, but like his teammates he just couldn’t contain a blistering City attack and he was fortunate not to be punished when his attempted clearance was blocked by Mahrez. Getty -
Conor Coady, 6 - A dogged performance, but a careless one too and despite his work, he was guilty of giving away possession cheaply on more than one occasion. Dragged his side on terms when he powered his header beyond Ederson, only for Jesus to restore City’s advantage when he pounced on a kind deflection off the defender. EPA -
Leander Dendoncker, 6 – A calamitous start from Dendoncker who gave possession straight to Sterling in a dangerous area and put his next touch into the back of his own net. In fairness he couldn’t really do much else, such was the quality of the cross from Mahrez. Reuters -
Jonny, 4 - Second best to Mahrez all night. Couldn’t match the Algerian’s pace or precision and all too often failed to stop the cross as the City man’s deliveries wreaked havoc. Withdrawn shortly after the restart. Getty -
Ruben Neves, 5 - There’s no doubting his ability, but he never really got going in this one. Withdrawn for the final moments. Getty -
Nelson Semedo, 6 - Pinned inside his own half for the bulk of the contest which made it almost impossible for his side to get out. To his credit, he produced a vital block to deflect an ambitious - and probably goalbound - de Bruyne effort safely behind for a corner. Getty -
Joao Moutinho, 7 - Didn’t get going until the final half hour when he flicked a switch and started to link up nicely with Neto. Teed up Coady to level the scores with a calculated delivery into the box after he was clipped by Rodri. EPA -
Adama Traore, 7 - Hardly touched the ball in the first-half. Grew into the game as it progressed and caused more problems after the break, including a powerful effort that was glanced wide by the knee of Dias before he unforgivably smashed over moments later. Getty -
Pedro Neto, 7 - A spectator for much of the first half. When he did look to burst forward he was quickly hunted down by three sky blue shirts and ended up heading back towards his own goal. The tricky forward did his best to run at City defenders but he couldn’t get the better of his compatriot Cancelo. AP -
SUBS: Fabio Silva, 5 - Replaced an exhausting looking Jonny in the 56th minute, but he had little impact. EPA -
Owen Otasowie, N/R - Replaced Ruben Neves for the final few minutes but Mahrez put the game to bed about 30 seconds later following a mistake from the midfielder. Getty
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The most potent goalscorer in City’s squad, Sergio Aguero, has scarcely featured because of injury and illness since City drew against West Bromwich Albion in December. He has no goals in the 21-match sequence in which 15 different City players have registered on the scoresheet.
Bayern’s win rush of last season, had a top-of-his-form Robert Lewadowski leading the line. The Pole struck 21 goals in the 23 victories. City’s leading scorer in the last 21 matches? Ilkay Gundogan, with 10, a midfielder who has spent much of his career at the club as the deepest-lying player of the front six.
Aguero, who made his first start of 2021 against West Ham United last weekend, should have an opportunity to get among the goals soon, with City about to be in action four times in ten days.
If they win all those fixtures, they will match Ajax’s 25-game chain of victories in 1995. Van Gaal’s celebrated young Ajax won the Champions League within that run. The eventual reward for the Dutch coach was a move to Barcelona, where Guardiola was captain.
Van Gaal’s 25 wins fell one shot of establishing an Ajax record, set by the European champions of 1971-72, their figurehead the brilliant Cruyff. Ajax’s ‘Total Football’ 26-victory sequence is the long-standing high bar for elite, top-division European football.
If City overtake it, it will resonate with City’s manager because of Cruyff, who as a coach launched Guardiola’s senior playing career at Barcelona and schooled him in many of his core principles.
Cruyff used to warn that winning momentum, however sustained, can seem very brittle when it stalls. Take the record-setting Real Madrid of 2014-15. They ended that season second in La Liga, dethroned in Europe, out of the domestic Cup before the quarters, and with Ancelotti sacked.
