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FIVE STAR MAN CITY IN CHASE FOR EPL RECORD

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Manchester City may have won the English Premier League, but the manager, Pep Guardiola still have other ambitions as the season gradually winds up.

He remarked that Manchester City’s focus now is on chasing records after they celebrated being crowned Premier League champions by thrashing Swansea.

Manchester City were given a guard of honour and there were celebrations at full-time in their first match since their third league title in seven seasons was confirmed.

Thousands of fans invaded the pitch as Guardiola’s side emphatically ended a run of three successive home defeats.

And Guardiola said “looking for records helps to keep the players focused” as his side prepare for their last four games of the season.

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This victory took them to 90 points, five shy of the Premier League record set by Chelsea in 2004-05, and they are also chasing the most number of wins and goals scored in a season.

“The league is won, now it’s the records,” said Guardiola. “It’s never unfinished business in football, you have to keep improving.

“If you think ‘OK, we are already champions’, we are done and you cannot play like the way we played. If we are improving it will be good for the new season, finishing in a good way.”

Raheem Sterling’s cut-back set up David Silva’s early opener before the winger poked in from six yards to make it two within 16 minutes.

Kevin de Bruyne scored with a sensational 25-yard drive before Bernardo Silva pounced on the rebound of Gabriel Jesus’ saved penalty.

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The Brazilian eventually found the back of the net when he headed in Yaya Toure’s chipped pass.

Swansea are without a win in five league matches and remain four points above the relegation zone with four games to play.

And the Swans must take on fifth-placed Chelsea at the Liberty Stadium next week before hosting relegation-threatened Stoke and Southampton in a tough run-in.

Manchester City can look forward to their final home game of the season against Huddersfield on 6 May, when they will be presented with the Premier League trophy.

Manchester City were given a guard of honour after winning the title with five games remaining

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It was a day of celebrations for Manchester City, who were crowned Premier League champions last week following Manchester United’s defeat by West Brom.

Supporters gathered at Etihad Stadium before kick-off to parade replica trophies, fly flags and welcome the champions on arrival.

They also stormed the pitch in numbers to celebrate at full-time – singing, taking pictures and setting off flares to revel in Manchester City’s third Premier League title.

And Guardiola’s side were applauded by the Swansea players and staff in a guard of honour before kick-off.

Fans surrounded Benjamin Mendy after he came on as a late substitute in his first appearance since September

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The hosts’ performance was worthy of a title-winning side, too.

They cut Swansea’s defence apart in the opening stages and passed the ball around with flair and creativity.

It was a display of intent from the champions, and while they can still break Premier League records before the season ends in May, they are also chasing individual and club accolades.

Manchester City have now also broken their own record tally of 89, set in 2011-12, and Guardiola could beat his previous best points tally in a single league season as a manager – 99, with Barcelona in 2009-10.

No team has accrued 100 points or more in a single top-flight campaign, but City would become the first that if they pick up 10 from their remaining four games.

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Records Manchester City can still break:

  • Most points (previous record – 95 set by Chelsea in 2004-05)
  • Most wins (previous record – 30 set by Chelsea in 2016-17)
  • Most goals (previous record – 103 set by Chelsea in 2009-10)
  • Biggest title-winning margin (previous record – 18 points set by Manchester United in 1999-00)

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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