Is this the end of Pep Guardiola's dominance? Why Manchester City's dynasty has ended

"In seasons gone by, you could have looked at Manchester City being eight points behind Liverpool in September and known that a crazy second half of the season beckoned: but this is a Sky Blues side that doesn't look quite so invincible. Guardiola could well go two years without a league title for the first time in his illustrious and influential career"

"In terms of technical quality, there is no greater Premier League rivalry than City and Liverpool, between 2017 and 2022. For five years, the two best managers on Earth were going hell for leather at one another, regularly racking up 90+ points a-piece with two of the most insane squads in world football. Arsenal are yet to reach that level under Mikel Arteta but the standard the Liverpool/City rivalry has had a massive knock-on effect on the rest of the league."

"Bournemouth and Brighton recruit elite footballers, Newcastle can compete financially, and all the rest of those cliches that you've heard a hundred times. The Premier League is improving, hence the difficulty that promoted teams have found in staying up. And it's a problem for Guardiola. City beat plenty of smart teams in their 100-point season, but the likes of Swansea, West Brom, Stoke, Huddersfield, Watford hey, even Brighton and Bournemouth were miles behind them in player quality. The gap has been closed considerably."

Manchester City have won six league titles in Pep Guardiola's eight seasons, with only three previous seasons in which he failed to lift the trophy. Historically, large mid-season deficits often presaged dramatic City comebacks, but the current squad no longer feels invincible and could miss out on the title for a second consecutive year. The intense City-Liverpool rivalry from 2017–2022 raised standards across the Premier League, prompting clubs like Bournemouth, Brighton and Newcastle to recruit elite players. The overall improvement of the league has closed the quality gap that once favoured City, creating a challenge for Guardiola.

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