Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - April 14, 2018   Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and teammates applaud the fans after the match    REUTERS/David Klein    EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.  Please contact your account representative for further details.
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and teammates applaud the fans after the match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, a match City won 3-1. David Klein / Reuters

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City target Premier League dynasty


The National

Manchester City are setting their sights on establishing a dynasty in English football and finally conquering Europe after their relentless march to a third Premier League title in seven seasons.

Pep Guardiola's men were crowned champions on Sunday following Manchester United's shock defeat at home to bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion.

City have already matched one of the greatest sides of the Premier League era by winning the league with five games to spare to equal Manchester United's record in 2000/01.

The Premier League points and goals records are also likely to be smashed but the true test of whether City deserve their status in the list of all-time greats will be what comes next.

"I suppose my teammates will roll their eyes a little bit but I kind of want to see what the reaction is now," City captain Vincent Kompany, also a title-winner in 2012 and 2014, told Sky Sports. "I have never retained a title so I want to see if this team's got it to carry on and be even more successful."

Kompany said he shared that ambition with manager Pep Guardiola, who has now won 23 major trophies in a glittering managerial career that has included glorious spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

"I think we share one thing maybe, the hunger and desire to never be satisfied," the Belgian said.

"This is not a dynasty, it is one title we've won. We're still super happy but there's is so much to do before we unlock our full potential."

____________

Read more

Analysis: Pep Guardiola and Manchester City's challenge is now to sustain and improve on greatness

Road to Premier League title: Manchester City's 10 key games in 2017/18 season

Guardiola plays golf with Abu Dhabi champion Tommy Fleetwood as Manchester City clinch Premier League title

Manchester City win Premier League title as Manchester United shocked by West Bromwich Albion

____________

Manuel Pellegrini and Roberto Mancini have also delivered titles at City but never sustained success.

This season's title triumph is just the fifth in the club's history, putting them well behind fierce rivals United, with a record 20 titles, but Guardiola's side are now the pre-eminent team in the city and in the country.

"Retaining a title is the next step and City were not in the right state of mind," said United's former manager Alex Ferguson after retiring in 2013, having won the title back from City.

"When I won the league for the first time in 1993, I didn't want my team to slacken off. The thought appalled me."

Seven trophies have been won since Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover in 2008, but the one trophy they covet above all continues to elude them.

Guardiola's record-breakers fell short again in the Uefa Champions League, losing 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to Liverpool.

"Sooner or later it's going to happen," insisted Guardiola, who has consistently stated City's need to grow gradually on the European stage, having made the Champions League semi-finals just once in their history.

Guardiola has taken City back to the pinnacle of the English game. Keeping them there and finally breaking through their Champions League glass ceiling is now the challenge.

Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now


Abtal

Keep up with all the Middle East and North Africa athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics

      By signing up, I agree to The National's privacy policy
      Abtal