Manchester City currently sits top of the Premier League after winning eight and drawing one of their opening nine league games, and have set a club record after winning their last 11 games in all competitions. Perhaps more frightening is the fact they have scored 32 league goals already and have only conceded four this season, which has helped open up a five-point gap between themselves and their nearest challengers for top spot Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - who both currently sit on 20 points.

Despite only being nine games into the season, they have already been labelled as clear favourites to win the Premier League title and have also been tipped to progress deep into the domestic cup competitions and even the Champions League.

With strength in depth, Pep Guardiola will have the luxury of being able to rotate his side for certain games and still be able to field a strong side, a luxury not many other Premier League managers with have their disposal.

After Manchester City’s electric start to the season, people are now asking the question, can they go an entire Premier League season without losing a game? It’s a feat even Guardiola doesn’t believe is possible for his side to achieve, admitting during an interview with Sky Sports. However, with Manchester City failing to score three goals or more in only two of their games so far this season, many are also wondering who will be able to stop this attacking juggernaut.

Strength in attack

The Citizens have blown opposing teams away this season thanks to their relentless attacking style. They currently have four players within the top 10 Premier League goalscorers so far this season with Sergio Aguero currently on seven goals - second only to Tottenham’s Harry Kane who has eight goals – Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling both have six goals and Leroy Sane has also chipped in with five goals so far.

Their attacking prowess has meant City are currently scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game and are averaging scoring an astonishing five goals per game at home, with their recent 3-0 win over Burnley being their lowest scoring home game so far this season. Their Manchester rivals have scored the second highest number of goals in the league, and City has scored 10 more goals than they have, emphasising how deadly City’s attacking personnel have been.

One name that is being highlighted as City’s key man is their Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Despite only scoring one goal so far, which turned out to be the winning goal in City’s 1-0 away win against the reigning league champions Chelsea, he is currently the league’s joint top assist taker – tied with his teammate David Silva – with six assists already this season. Both fans and experts have praised his passing accuracy and range of passing, and City looks to have bagged a bargain for the Belgian in the current footballing market, spending £55m on the midfielder just two years ago.

Arsenal’s Invincibles Comparison

Now that many are starting to believe City can go through this entire season unbeaten, comparisons between themselves and Arsenal’s 2003-04 side which went an entire season without losing a game are beginning to emerge. They were the second team in history to achieve the feat, although when Preston North End achieved it back in 1888 there were only 12 teams in the league, and no team have been able to repeat their heroics since.

After their first nine games that season, Arsenal had won seven and drawn two – meaning City have two more points than Arsenal did at the time.

While we may not be able to read much into that stat, Arsenal had scored eighteen goals in their opening nine matches, compared with the 32 Manchester City have scored this season, showing how dominant City have been this season by blowing teams away, while Arsenal only won two of their opening games by more than a two-goal margin.

Another argument experts are making is that City has only faced one side that is currently in the top seven in the league (Chelsea) and that their defence is yet to be properly tested. They will face Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham all before Christmas, which will give us a clearer indication as to whether or not City can replicate their recent impressive performances against their potential title rivals, and after Manchester United’s surprise 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town last weekend, City must be careful not to fall into the same trap their rivals did by getting complacent against teams they are expected to take maximum points from.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED