Plus: Why a Sky Sports pundit says “I like Pep Guardiola’s team better than any other Pep Guardiola team”; Watch Man City vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Premier League from 3.30pm on Sunday; Starts at 4pm
Gary Neville believes Liverpool remain the team most likely to stop Manchester City’s ongoing dominance of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday confirmed City’s fifth Premier League crown in six years.
The FA Cup and Champions League could still follow with Neville reckoning it would be “a miracle” if Pep Guardiola’s side do not complete the treble next month.
Manchester United and Inter Milan remain the only obstacles between City and completing what would be only the second Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in history, but what next season and the task of identifying the team that will win City prevent Machine domestically?
“You have to have a great manager and a great group of players to do what City have done and other clubs are interested in,” Neville said.
“At the moment, the one team that has proven over the last five or six years that (they can challenge City) is Liverpool.
“Arsenal have come close to City this year but the only team I can say at the moment who have shown they can come close to Pep Guardiola’s City is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
“I know they fell well short of that standard this season but (they can) get back up to that standard next season because they’ve proven they can do it already.”
Although City’s title triumphs have become a regular occurrence in the Premier League, Neville’s supporters have welcomed a significant change in City’s approach this term following the signing of goal machine Erling Haaland last summer.
“This is my favorite Pep Guardiola team and the one I want to play against the least,” Neville said. “I like Pep Guardiola’s team more than any other Pep Guardiola team.
“The last 10 games have probably been the best I’ve seen Man City play, what I love in football.
“I like a strong back four. I like a strong back four – someone who doesn’t give you chances. The midfield is very good. But I like the flaw that Holland brings, the idea that everything is not right. I like that. They Can go long, they can pass the ball from long distances.
Gary Neville believes newly confirmed champions Manchester State are not perfect which makes them even more dangerous
“I enjoyed watching this Man City team more than last season or when Pep Guardiola was at Barcelona because I felt like it was a repetitive, technical machine.
“It has power, strength, and in order they have a team of monsters.
“This is a very different Pep Guardiola team physically. I like that they are not as complete on the ball as they were but I think that makes them more dangerous.
“I don’t think they would have been able to achieve what they did if they didn’t have that strength and physical presence and Holland’s presence.
“Football is not technically perfect but I think it’s a lot of fun.”
Watch Man City vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Premier League and Man on Sunday from 3.30pm; Starts at 4pm