Man City not among the greatest - yet

Published on: 18 December 2017

After 18 games of the 2005-06 season, Chelsea stood nine points clear at the top of the Premier League having won 16 and lost one of their league games.

Their haul of 49 points was just three short of the 52 that Manchester City have amassed over the same number of games this season, with Pep Guardiola's team still unbeaten, unlike Jose Mourinho's Chelsea this time 12 years ago.

Chelsea would go on to win the title with an eight-point margin over runners-up Manchester United, finishing as champions for the second successive campaign with Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and John Terry playing at their absolute peak.

Yet in the current debate as to which team is the best of the Premier League era, Mourinho's first Chelsea team barely merits a mention.

Indeed, such has been the breathless style of City's surge to the top under Guardiola, even the greatest United and Arsenal teams since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 have largely been overlooked in the race to herald City as the best of the lot.

They may well turn out to be the best team that the Premier League has ever seen -- City could achieve an unprecedented quadruple this season if they continue in their current vein -- but as it stands right now, their style and power counts for nothing against the trophies won by the great sides built by Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Mourinho.

There have arguably been seven great teams during the 25 years of the Premier League, and City are on course to be the eighth.

But only time will tell how they measure up against the best of United, Arsenal and Chelsea. For a start, they need to win trophies -- plural -- and over a sustained period of time.

Manchester United, 1993-94

Ferguson's first great team was the double-winning side of 1993-94 -- a side of its time, with strength, character, power, flair and immense attacking quality.

From Peter Schmeichel in goal, to Roy Keane and Paul Ince in midfield, with Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs and Andrei Kanchelskis further forward, this United team was able to blow opponents away, either by playing football or engaging in a physical battle.

Manchester United players celebrate winning Premier League title in 1994 Getty

Arsenal, 1997-98

The same could be said for Wenger's first great team at Arsenal, which ended United's dominance of the 1990s by winning the Premier League and FA Cup in 1998.

They had the same building blocks as that United team -- a great goalkeeper in David Seaman, a formidable back four, the power and grace of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit in midfield and Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp and Nicolas Anelka ahead of them.

Between 1998 and 2003, Arsenal and United were locked in a titanic battle for supremacy, with two of the best teams of the past 25 years pushing each other on.

Manchester United 1998-99

United shaded that period, with the Treble success of 1999 proving the start of a three-year run of title wins.

The Treble winners are arguably United's best, with Ferguson rebuilding the 1994 team with the youth of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers alongside recruits such as Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole.

Just like City now, that United team possessed the priceless ability to win games when the clock was ticking down to its final seconds, and sometimes beyond.

In terms of personality and mental strength, United proved their mettle by fending off the threat of Arsenal, particularly in 1999, so they would be a match in every aspect for Guardiola's City.

Arsenal 2003-04

But so would Arsenal's "Invincibles" of 2004. The 1998 team was great, but with Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Sol Campbell, among others, added to the squad, Wenger took Arsenal to a higher level and their success in winning the title without suffering a league defeat is testament to their incredible quality.

Arsenal players celebrate winning Premier League title in 2004 Getty

Chelsea, 2005-06
Manchester United, 2007-08

Mourinho then came along, backed by Roman Abramovich's billions at Chelsea, to build his formidable team at Stamford Bridge.

For two years, Chelsea appeared set to disappear over the horizon and dominate for years to come, but Ferguson's success in rebuilding United around the prodigious talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney saw the pendulum swing back to Old Trafford.

And Ferguson's new team dominated just like its two great predecessors, winning three successive titles and another Champions League in 2008.

But for a surprise FA Cup quarterfinal defeat at home to Portsmouth that year, United would have been odds-on to win a second Treble with a team also containing Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Edwin van der Sar and Carlos Tevez.

Almost 10 years on, United have not come close to recreating that team. The same applies to Arsenal and their "Invincibles," with Chelsea never quite rediscovering the awesome consistency of Mourinho's first team at Stamford Bridge.

But as City strive to achieve glory under Guardiola, the successes of the best teams of the Premier League years should not be overlooked or forgotten.

The very best won trophies, but they also broke the mould and raised the bar to unprecedented levels.

City have the ability to match them, but for now, it is far too early to suggest they are the best team the Premier League has ever seen because the previous greats have all been so impressive.

Source: espn.co.uk

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more