Road to the Premier League title: 11 key results that made Manchester City champions

Richard Jolly selects 11 crucial results that helped guide Manchester City to a successful defence of the Premier League title

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero celebrates after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola kisses his medal as he celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. EPA

Manchester City players throw manager Pep Guardiola in the air as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Getty Images

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City's Vincent Kompany celebrates with fans after winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City fan holds up a banner as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City fan holds up a banner as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City's Vincent Kompany celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in action with Brighton's Bernardo. Reuters

Brighton's Glenn Murray heads in a corner to give his side the lead against Manchester City. Reuters

Brighton's Glenn Murray heads in a corner to give his side the lead against Manchester City. Reuters

Brighton's Anthony Knockaert celebrates Glenn Murray's opening goal against Manchester City. Reuters

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero during the match. Reuters

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero equalises against Brighton. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looks on. Reuters

Manchester City's Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva form a wall to defend a free kick taken by Brighton's Lewis Dunk. Reuters

Manchester City's Ederson saves a shot from Brighton's Lewis Dunk. Reuters

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in action with Brighton's Yves Bissouma. Reuters

Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City scores to make it 3-1. EPA

Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal. EPA

1. Arsenal 0-2 Man City, August 12

A statement of intent at the start. A difficult first fixture but City's two best players of the season set the tone immediately. Raheem Sterling scored in 14 minutes. Bernardo Silva added another to indicate how he could deputise for Kevin de Bruyne.

2. Liverpool 0-0 Man City, October 7

The second time City dropped points but, despite Riyad Mahrez's late missed penalty, a way in which they gained them, too. They had lost at Anfield three times in Pep Guardiola's first two seasons in charge. They limited their title rivals to two shots on target. Bernardo Silva was outstanding in more of a defensive role than he normally plays.

3. Tottenham 0-1 Man City, October 29

Another game where City often struggle but, despite a bumpy pitch caused by NFL players, not this time. Mahrez got his most important City goal – and a sixth-minute strike was one of 12 goals they scored in the opening 10 minutes – but the selfless assist came from Sterling.

4. Man City 3-1 Man United, November 11

The final goal, scored by Ilkay Gundogan, was an illustration of City's superiority in Manchester. It came at the end of a 44-pass move, highlighting how Jose Mourinho could not halt Guardiola. David Silva, who had an excellent first half of the season, and Aguero, also scored.

5. Man City 2-1 Liverpool, January 3

Surely the biggest win of all. City had lost three of their previous five league games and would have gone 10 points behind Liverpool had they lost. John Stones made a goal-line clearance when Sadio Mane's shot was 11mm from crossing the line. Aguero got a terrific opener and Leroy Sane an ultimately crucial winner in a high-class game. Bernardo Silva ran 13.7km in Liverpool's only defeat of the season.

6. Man City 3-1 Arsenal, February 3

Another wonderful response. City had lost at Newcastle five days earlier. They hit back so emphatically that Aguero scored in the first minute. He went on to complete his 14th City hat-trick. His 15th would follow seven days later.

7. Man City 6-0 Chelsea, February 10

It was Chelsea's heaviest defeat for 28 years. It was also a result that meant City's goal difference was always going to be superior to Liverpool's. Sterling scored twice, including the early opener, and Gundogan once. Aguero missed an open goal and still struck three times.

8. Man City 1-0 Tottenham, April 20

Spurs had knocked City out of the Champions League three days earlier. This was an example of how to deal with disappointment. City were depleted but Phil Foden made the most of just his second league start to score, Bernardo Silva was again outstanding and Ederson made some terrific saves.

9. Man United 0-2 Man City, April 24

Supposedly the biggest obstacle in City’s path but they showed control, patience and quality before winning a derby. Typically, the brilliant Bernardo Silva made the breakthrough. Sane added a second. United looked second best

10. Man City 1-0 Leicester, May 6

The Vincent Kompany moment, the captain's first City goal from outside the box, a 62mph 25-yard winner when his teammates were telling him not to shoot. Kompany had come back into the team for the run-in and a huge personality delivered at a major moment. Again.

11. Brighton 1-4 Man City, May 12

If it seemed one of the simpler final-day fixtures, City's 14th straight win was not an easy affair. Yet their response to going behind was superb: an equaliser in 83 seconds –Aguero 32nd goal of the season – and a deficit was turned into a lead when Aymeric Laporte scored. Mahrez and Gundogan sealed the title in style.