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

Richard Jolly looks at 10 games that proved crucial to the league trophy returning to Etihad Stadium

1. Manchester City 1-1 Everton, August 21 It is easy to forget both that Raheem Sterling did not start the season in the City side. The winger came on at half-time in the second game with City already reduced to 10 men by Kyle Walker’s controversial red card. City trailed for an hour before Sterling levelled. Without that, they would not have gone unbeaten until January. Anthony Devlin / AFP

2. Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City, August 26 Another Sterling late show, another dismissal and more controversy. City had trailed again, Sterling grabbed a 97th-minute winner and got a 99th-minute red card for celebrating with the crowd. His August antics meant that, whereas City may have only mustered four points from their first three games, they took seven. Glyn Kirk / AFP

3. Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool, September 9. The scoreline was emphatic, if the pivotal moment was Sadio Mane’s first-half red card for catching Ederson in the face with a high boot. But Leroy Sane’s brace was a sign of how devastating he can be and, after only two wins against the top seven last season, this showed City’s fortunes were changing rapidly. Oli Scarff / AFP

4. Watford 0-6 Manchester City, September 16 It was not merely the margin of victory, during a run of three wins by an aggregate score of 16-0, or Sergio Aguero’s hat-trick, or the 28 shots. It was the reality that they won after a midweek Champions League game, another issue for them last season. It was also their first league game this season playing 4-3-3. Ben Stansall / AFP

5. Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City, September 30 A symbolic toppling of the champions. It was significant when Chelsea won at the Etihad Stadium in December 2016 and similarly important when City gained revenge. The symbolism extended to the outstanding former Chelsea player Kevin de Bruyne curling in a brilliant winner. It was also the first game of Fabian Delph’s successful conversion into a left-back. Adrian Dennis / AFP

6. Manchester City 2-1 Southampton, November 29 Him again. Eight days after Sterling’s 88th minute winner against Feyenoord, three after his 84th-minute decider at Huddersfield came a 96th-minute beauty. Besides providing further proof of Sterling’s substance, that run of vital late goals – David Silva got another four days later against West Ham – showed City’s spirit and fitness. Oli Scarff / AFP

7. Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City, December 10 Jose Mourinho admitted United’s title hopes were “probably over” after City ended a 40-match unbeaten home record to go 11 points clear. Pep Guardiola appreciated the sight of his small side scoring twice from set-pieces, courtesy of David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi, but his side still needed Ederson to make a brilliant double save from Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata. It highlighted the difference the summer signing has made in goal. Oli Scarff / AFP

8. Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham, December 16 Tottenham inflicted City’s first league defeat last season. There was no repeat. Besides the statutory Sterling late goals – two of them – De Bruyne produced another masterclass. He scored a wonderful goal, Dele Alli resorted to the illegal to try and stop him and Mauricio Pochettino’s attempt to halt City with a diamond midfield failed. Paul Ellis / AFP

9. Arsenal 0-3 Manchester City, March 1 Vincent Kompany thought it would be the toughest test of City’s season. Arsenal, he reasoned, would be out for revenge after Guardiola’s men won the League Cup final four days earlier. City were without the injured Sterling, Fernandinho and Benjamin Mendy and the banned Delph. They surged into a 3-0 lead in 33 minutes. Game over. Glyn Kirk / AFP

10. Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea, March 4 Chelsea’s incredibly negative tactics were a sign of how City have demoralised their rivals. The leaders’ mastery was apparent in the way they completed a Premier League record 902 passes, with Ilkay Gundogan responsible for 167 of them. Bernardo Silva scored the winner to put City 18 points clear and all but seal the title. Anthony Devlin / AFP

Manchester City won the Premier League title on Sunday night in anti-climactic fashion after derby rivals Manchester United were beaten at home by the league's worst team, West Bromwich Albion.

Our English football correspondent Richard Jolly selects 10 games that proved key to Pep Guardiola's men and their bid to win the league title in 2017/18.

Swipe left/right on your browser to see which games Jolly has picked out.

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