In an astonishing match that included nine goals, two penalties, and an improbable comeback effort that fell just short, Manchester City hung on for a 6-3 victory despite almost blowing a four-goal lead. Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, İlkay Gündoğan, and Raheem Sterling put the Citizens 4-0 ahead well before halftime. However, after the break, Leicester reduced the deficit to 4-3 within 20 minutes of the restart. In the end, two further goals from Aymeric Laporte and Sterling ensured that Manchester City would have their ninth consecutive league victory, keeping daylight between themselves and closest rivals Liverpool.
Over the past few seasons, City's dominance of the Premier League has become almost routine. Since the 2017-18 season, City have won the league three times in four years, with their second-place finish behind Liverpool in 2019-20 beginning to look more and more like an aberration. During these four seasons, City have averaged a barely believable 91 points per season and are on pace to have 94 this time around.
What arguably makes City's success even more remarkable is the fact that they're doing this without a true focal point up front. At this point, Sterling and Bernardo Silva are City's leading goalscorers despite having just seven apiece. This may very well be the truest form of head coach Pep Guardiola's style of play manifesting itself - one which reached its apex during his four years in charge of a dynastic Barcelona team.
Guardiola's tactics also seem to have benefited certain players who have shown a great deal of improvement this season such as Phil Foden, João Cancelo, and perhaps most notably, Rodri. The Spanish midfielder is currently playing at a level far beyond any he has attained until now.
This is a team in which every piece seems to fit almost perfectly. Though City might not have any of the five or arguably even 10 best players on the planet, they have an absolute laundry list of players ranging from "very solid" to "elite". When we talk about how this City team was built, we tend to focus on the enormous amount of money brought in by club owner Sheikh Mansour. However, we must give him credit where it is due - unlike several other billionaire owners (some of whom we can easily think; no names will be given, though), he actually seems to attend to the team's personnel needs and act accordingly. Most of City's big-money signings have also proven to have been worth the massive outlays (and then some, in certain cases).
All this having been mentioned, it will be interesting to see how City handle the Champions League when it resumes in February, as it has always been on European football's biggest stage that things have historically begun to go wrong for the Manchester club. That being said, they did reach last season's final, only to fall to Chelsea in the showpiece match. City will resume their Champions League campaign against Sporting CP - a fixture which they should have absolutely no trouble winning. After that, it will be revealed whether last season's deep run was the anomaly or the new norm for a City team which would have finally figured out continental play. That being said, the fact that City topped a group which included Paris Saint-Germain is certainly a good sign.
The main question, ultimately, has to be this: is this peak City or do they have another level which they have not yet unlocked? As great as City are right now, one can't help but shake the feeling that City's current level might not be able to land them the coveted Premier League/Champions League double.
That being said, City have shown ruthless efficiency all season long and are the clear favourites to land a fourth Premier League title in five seasons. Yet somehow, Manchester City almost seem underrated - perhaps they are now at the point at which many just take their dominant level of play, especially on the domestic front, for granted.
Though there's still half a season to be played, another league title seems likely to be heading to the Etihad Stadium.
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