download All Football App

Top 5 seasons of the Premier League era: Where do Man City 2018-19 rank?

  /  autty

Manchester City have secured a stunning domestic Treble following their record-equalling FA Cup victory over Watford.

After pipping Liverpool to the Premier League title in the most exciting title run ever and overcoming Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim the Carabao Cup trophy, Pep Guardiola's side have won it all on these shores.

While the Champions League may have, once again, alluded them, there is no denying this is another Herculean effort from this vaunted outfit, crowned by a 6-0 thrashing of Watford at Wembley.

Of course there are countless team feats which have sent football fans up and down the country into raptures in days gone by.

Back in 1978, Nottingham Forest pipped reigning First Division and European champions Liverpool to the title in their first season back in the top flight.

Brian Clough's side then went on to win the European Cup the following two seasons. Three astonishing campaigns worthy in any conversation about the greatest footballing achievements this country has ever produced.

Amid all this talk of Doubles and Trebles, that was not commonplace back in the Sixties. Tottenham's side of 1960-61 claimed the first Double since Aston Villa in 1897 after winning the First Division and beating Leicester at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Let's not forget either the first ever 'Invincibles' back in the inaugural Football League season in 1888-89. Preston were unbeaten in all 22 league matches and also won the FA Cup, completing the first ever Double.

Yet while we recognise these remarkable achievements, it is also important to note how unrecognisable football has now become to those glory days more than half a century or so ago.

So, here, Sportsmail ranks the greatest seasons by an English football team since the advent of the Premier League back in 1992.

5. Manchester City hit 100 points (2017-18)

Any unprecedented domestic feat must feature on a list such as this. Pep Guardiola's City smashed all sorts of records on their way to securing the 2017-18 Premier League title.

City ended the campaign on a century of points and finished a whopping 29 points above nearest rivals Manchester United.

Guardiola had his side playing electric football and his rivals couldn't cope. Even he doubted whether the feat could be bettered.

'I still cannot believe it,' said Guardiola after the final game of the season. 'It will be ridiculous to overcome what we have done this season.

'We cannot be better in terms of numbers but, in terms of playing football, yes. Because the players, the manager and, as a team, we can do better.'

While they may not have hauled as many points this time round, no one can argue that their efforts this season pipped their simply astonishing campaign last year.

4. Arsenal's Invincibles (2003-04)

For football fans of a certain generation, Arsenal's Invincibles were the perfect team.  Under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger, the Gunners were the epitome of silky football.

Led by the colossus that is Patrick Vieira and an attack which was spearheaded by the peerless Thierry Henry, this side was easy on the eye but had a backbone as sturdy as you'd like.

The Gunners went an unprecedented 49 league games without a defeat, but missed out on their half century when they were consigned to a 2-0 loss to Manchester United.

The run began at the end of the 2002-03 season and ended at the beginning of the 2004-05 season – so it is no surprise the lifted the the Premier League trophy the season in between.

It was Wenger's career highlight, he conquered England and cemented himself into the history books at the north London club.

3. Manchester City domestic Treble (2018-19)

What makes Manchester City's domestic Treble so special is simply how good the opposition were that they beat.

To have overcome this incredible Liverpool side, Pep Guardiola has had to conjure up something pretty special at the Etihad.

The Reds ran them close last year, but this was a whole new ball game. Having to win 14 consecutive games in order to come out on top is a truly astonishing feat.

City came out on top in what has been widely regarded as the greatest Premier League title race in the 27-year history of the competition.

Having exerted so much energy in winning the title last campaign, Guardiola's ability to galvanise his troops for a monumental showdown this season has to be applauded.

While Europe still alludes them, the crushing win over Watford and securing a domestic Treble is certainly up there with English football's greatest achievements.

2. Leicester win the Premier League (2015-16)

Arguably the greatest single achievement in the Premier League era, Leicester winning the Premier League captured the imaginations of football fans around the world.

During a top-heavy period which has been dominated by a small handful of clubs, the Foxes came from nowhere to defy 5,000-1 odds and claim the Premier League title.

Leicester's campaign was a perfect alchemy of dazzling attack, steely defence and an awesome determination to never say die.

Jame Vardy and Riyad Mahrez struck up a partnership which devastated defences, while N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater marshalled a midfield which protected the unflappable Kasper Schmeichel and the colossus Wes Morgan.

When everyone backed he Foxes to falter, they kept winning – and Vardy, who scored in a record eleven consecutive Premier League games, kept scoring.

They picked up vital victories at Manchester City in the February and at Watford in the March and all of a sudden the East Midlands club started to believe.

Claudio Ranieri's side fended off the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham to claim their first Premier League title and etch themselves into the pantheon of great footballing achievements, a fairy tale which transcended the sport.

1. Manchester United's Treble (1998-99)

Sir Alex Ferguson's Treble-winning side of 1998-99 captured a nation. 'You'll never win anything with kids,' former pundit Alan Hansen mused. Boy how they proved him wrong.

They went on to conquer England and Europe under the leadership of the vaunted Roy Keane and the talent of the peerless Class of 92.

In a nailbiting Premier League season, United came out on top owing largely to Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke's sensational strike partnership.

On the continent, a certain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hit the winner against Bayern Munich in Barcelona to complete one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history to claim an historic Treble.

It was the greatest achievement by arguably the most dominant and feared squad in the history of English football.

Household names David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Keane, Yorke, Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Solskjaer Peter Schmeichel, Jaap Stam and Gary Neville became superstars. The names were touted across the length and breadth of the company.

These players ruled England but it was that famous night in Barcelona which cemented this side in the pantheon of greatest football teams to ever to play the game.