Manchester City 2023/24 season review: This means four | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City further cemented their legacy as English football’s greatest ever side with a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title this season, but the campaign ended on a low note.

Competition breakdown

Premier League – Winners

“No team has ever won four consecutive Premier League titles…yet.”

That was the motivational message emblazoned on the boot room wall at City’s training ground this season, and on the Premier League’s final day they became the first team in 135 years of English football history to lift four top-flight titles in a row.

They may make it look easy sometimes, but this title triumph was far from a formality. Just one win in six matches over November and December gave Guardiola’s side ground to make up, and a disappointing goalless draw at home to fellow challengers Arsenal on 31 March appeared to put the title race firmly in Liverpool’s hands.

But the turning point came on Sunday 14 April, when Liverpool and Arsenal both lost at home (to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa respectively), giving City the impetus.

It was a mantle they picked up and ran with, winning all of their last nine matches to pip Arsenal to the title by two points and make history.

Champions League – Quarter-final

City emerged from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid having picked up a solid 3-3 draw at the Bernabéu, which prompted talk of an unprecedented second successive treble for the reigning European champions.

But it wasn’t to be, as Madrid took the lead early in the second leg at the Etihad, and did well to frustrate the hosts. Kevin De Bruyne did get City back on level terms, but the tie went all the way to a penalty shoot-out, where misses from Mateo Kovačic and Bernardo Silva sent City packing.

FA Cup – Runners-up

Prior to last year, Manchester City and Manchester United had never before met in the FA Cup final, only for the feat to be repeated in successive seasons.

But unlike last year, it was the red half of Manchester who were celebrating at Wembley, as United beat their neighbours to lift the cup for the 13th time in their history, stopping City from following up last year’s Treble with a Double.

EFL Cup – Third round

It was a case of blink and you missed it for City’s Carabao Cup sojourn this season, as a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle saw them in and out at the third round stage.

Other trophies

City’s season began with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield, but they were more fortunate 10 days later, when penalties saw them overcome Sevilla to lift the UEFA Super Cup.

And Guardiola’s side also celebrated Christmas with some silverware, as victories over Urawa Reds and Fluminense saw them crowned Club World Cup winners in December.

Player of the season: Phil Foden

After his remarkable 74-match personal unbeaten run, Rodri was a very strong contender for City’s POTY award, but Foden just shades it for what was the best season of the 23-year-old’s career yet.

Often deployed in a more central role than his previous wing assignments, Foden chipped in with a career best 27 goals (19 of which came in the Premier League), including two in the final day victory over West Ham.

Lashing left-footed into the top corner from outside the box has become the Stopfordian’s trademark and though he already had five Premier League winners’ medals prior to this season, 2023/24 will be remembered as the year he truly became an elite footballer.

Game of the season: Tottenham 0-2 Manchester City

There were undoubtedly more entertaining and swashbuckling displays in City’s season than their trip to north London in the final week, but none were more pivotal in terms of the title race.

Heading into this season, City had failed to even score a goal on their previous five visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but that record was put to bed courtesy of a late Nathan Aké winner in January’s FA Cup fourth round tie.

Still, the spectre of a trip to Spurs in the penultimate game of the season loomed over City’s title hopes, while the consequence of Spurs winning and potentially handing the title to their rivals Arsenal made for a complicated atmosphere on the night.

Erling Haaland tapped City into the lead early in the second half, before Son Heung-min had a brilliant chance to equalise for the hosts late on, only for substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to come to City’s rescue with a brilliant one-on-one save.

Haaland wrapped up the three points from the penalty spot in stoppage time, and City gripped the Premier League trophy firmly with one hand.

Top goalscorer: Erling Haaland (38)

He may not quite have hit the dizzying heights of the 52 goals netted in his debut campaign last year, but Haaland’s difficult second season wasn’t too bad at all.

Of his 38 goals in all competitions, 27 came in the Premier League, six were bagged in the Champions League, and he netted five goals in one FA Cup match against Luton Town, before scoring four in a 5-1 Premier League win over Wolves in early May.

Not bad for somebody a certain television pundit compared to a “League Two player” midway through the season.

Rising star: Oscar Bobb

One of the biggest goals of City’s season was the first ever Premier League strike by 20-year-old Bobb.

It came in the dying minutes of a pulsating game away at Newcastle in January, which was also memorable for Kevin De Bruyne returning from injury and finding the net.

It was also De Bruyne who picked out Bobb with a brilliant pass in stoppage time, which the Norwegian youngster controlled before coolly rounding the goalkeeper and scoring the winner.

Bobb made 26 appearances in all, scoring two goals, and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.

What comes next?

After another successful season, it remains to be seen what City’s motivation will look like when the 2024/25 season kicks off. No team has ever won five consecutive Premier League titles…yet.

Unless he can be persuaded to sign a contract extension, next season seems likely to be Guardiola’s last at the helm, and big name players like Bernardo Silva and Ederson could well be on the move this summer, meaning a squad refresh will likely be required before next term gets under way.

And with their hearing into those 115 Premier League charges set to happen later this year, the 2024/25 season could go down as an era-defining one for the most successful English club of the last decade.