Greatness Personified

In beating Inter in the Champions League final, City accomplished something that only one other team in England has done and that’s win the treble. It got me thinking; is this City team the greatest in the Premier League era? Well, to answer that question, I’m going to talk about some of the other greatest Premier League sides and by the end, I may be able to come up with a definitive answer. Let’s do this.

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Manchester City 2022/23

The most recent entry is the City team from the season just gone. Given what they achieved, it’s hard for them not to be considered in this list. They boast one of the best managers to ever do it in Pep Guardiola. The starting XI is stacked from midfield to attack, players like Ederson, Dias, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gündoğan and how can I not mention, the man, the myth, the legend, Erling Haaland. There are some many other players that deserve a mention, but I think you get the point. Despite doing the unthinkable, the only thing I hold against them is that they didn’t dominate the Premier League like we’re used to City teams doing. Arsenal ran them super close this year and if it weren’t for them faltering towards the end, the story may have played out differently. Nevertheless, they deserve to be considered at the very least.

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Arsenal 2003/04

We’ve talked about a team doing the unimaginable earlier, and this Arsenal team can also lay claim to this statement. Dubbed the “Invincibles”, they went an entire season without losing on their way to winning their third Premier League title. Do you know how difficult it is to go a whole season and remain undefeated. That Arsenal team had some sure-fire greats: Cole, Pires, Viera, Bergkamp, and in my opinion, the Premier League’s greatest ever player, Henry. I think what this team (and some of the others) have in its favour is they played in a more aggressive era of football. Sure, tactically football has greatly advanced, but the game was nowhere near as soft as it is now. The only knock against them I can think of is they only managed to win the Premier League. They are still for sure in with a shout as the cream of the crop when it comes to all time Premier League teams.

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Chelsea 2004/05

From 2004 to 2006, Chelsea were undeniably the best team is the country. Out of those two seasons, I think the 2004/05 team was the slightly better one. Led by Jose Mourinho, one of the game’s up and coming managers at the time, they dominated the league, amassing 95 points and losing only once. For me, what makes this team unique is that they could be considered the first “defence first” team to win league. Across that season, they conceded just 15 goals (still a record to this day). Despite being so strong defensively, with Čech, Terry and Carvalho being at the heart of it, they were also blessed with great forward-thinking players: Lampard, Drogba, Robben. They also won the League Cup as well, showing they were built for both the league and cup competitions. Judging it on overall completeness, they could well be the best to do it, certainly worthy contenders.

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Manchester United 2007/08

I believe the Red Devils of 2007/08 is Fergie’s finest side. They won the Premier League and the Champions League (granted with a bit of luck) in the same season, a feat only two other teams have accomplished in the Premier League era. If you look at their starting XI, there are very few weaknesses. Van Der Sar in goal, Ferdinand and Vidić marshalling the defence. The midfield of Carrick, Scholes and Scholes controlling the middle of the park and what some consider the greatest frontline in Premier League history, CR7, Rooney, and Tevez. This United side was maybe one of the first Premier League sides to have a killer front three, something that would become popular in the years to follow. Overall, they had no real weaknesses, maybe Wes Brown at right-back, who was more than serviceable. Whether they’re the best is up for debate, but boy where they a fantastic team!

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Manchester City 2018/19

For their second entry, I’ve gone for the 2018/19 side as opposed to the 2017/18 team, but it really could have gone either way. Personally, I’ve leaned towards the former because of who they had to fight off to win the title. To win the league with 98 points is remarkable, but to do it with Liverpool, who would go one to win the Champions League that season, ferociously chasing you down is something else. To this day, the 97 points that the Reds obtained is the highest a runner-up has ever obtained. As a rival fan, that City team was the most attractive to watch and played a brand of football that was unmatched. This City team also did something that hasn’t been done before: win the domestic treble (Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup). When I think of peak City, this is the side that I think of.

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Manchester United 1998/99

The last team on this list must be what many consider the greatest, United’s treble-winners of 1998/99. I think what makes their treble win even more remarkable was how dramatic it was. The league went to the final day of the season, that incredible FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal were Giggs scored that solo goal. And of course, the most talked about Champions League final in history, where two goals in stoppage time saw United achieve footballing immortality. Their squad that season was a stacked as they come. Schmeichel, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Cole, Yorke, the list goes on. The team was and still is the standard bearer by which we measure success in British football. The legacy this team will have for generations to come cannot be understated. We as fans can argue about the quality of play and opposition across eras, but they won’t be another team like United’s treble-winners of 1999 ever again.

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This Week’s Hot Take

I’d say that the 2022/23 City team is the greatest Premier League side of all time. On paper, they may not even be the greatest City side ever. And sure, they didn’t dominate in the Premier League like other teams. Nevertheless, the fact that they did what some many teams have struggled to win by winning the treble has to put them in a different stratosphere. We may see teams in the future do the treble, but for right now, this City team stands at the top of the mountain.