"man_city_fc" by Airviews Photography (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Manchester City have run riot over the rest of the Premier League this season, with it looking more and more likely that they will clinch the league championship with over a month left to play. And while Pep Guardiola's squad is drawing comparisons to Arsenal's Invincibles team, a common criticism surrounding this team is the need for City to achieve Champions League success to be considered an all-time great team. But do City need the Champions League crown to be a legendary team?
On one hand, there are plenty of teams in the history of football who have destroyed their domestic league while faltering in Europe. PSG come to mind in recent seasons in that regard, and a City triumph in the Champions League would eliminate that argument from any future conversation about the 2017-2018 Citizens. But even without winning the continental trophy, they may still go down as the best in Premier League history.
The previous gold standard in the Premier League, The Invincibles, dropped points in 12 matches over the course of their unbeaten campaign. Guardiola's City side, meanwhile, have dropped points in just four matches through the first two thirds of their season. As a result, they're a staggering 1/1000 to take the title in the Premier League betting market.
City winning three games in eight days against Chelsea and Arsenal twice was proof of their deserved legendary status, as they won the games by a combined 7-0 score. It was the display of a team that is so confident in their own abilities that only they can stop themselves going forward. In winning a domestic cup competition and all but guaranteeing themselves a Premier League title, it may be ages until England sees a club of this quality again.
"Ver Manchester United vs. Bayern Múnich - Champions League 2014" by Ver en vivo En Directo (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Thanks to the way they have played throughout the domestic season, they can virtually coast to the league title. This is a massive benefit to City come Champions League time, as they will be able to rotate their squad in the league regardless of who their opponent is. That will make them a fresher team heading into European matches, which should give them the edge against other elite teams who will still have to give it their all to win their domestic leagues.
One concern that members of the City squad have expressed is the impact that winning the Premier League as early as they seem destined to will have on their ability to maintain their edge for the Champions League. While being able to rest players in the league will improve their physical endurance, it could also hinder their mental endurance when they need it most.
In a tournament like the Champions League where a team's fate can be decided by the draw for each round, it seems unfair to judge a team's status by how they have performed in that one tournament. But when you are dealing with teams on the high level of Manchester City, you have to grade on a higher standard than you would for others.
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