On April 29, in the 35th round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated the relegation team Nottingham Forest 2-0 away, achieving a brilliant record of 31 consecutive unbeaten games.
This not only further cemented City's second-place position, but also kept the hope of a fourth consecutive title. In the remaining four rounds, if Manchester City wins all of them, they will be able to beat Arsenal, the leader of the table, who is one point ahead, and achieve the first fourth consecutive title in the history of the Premier League.
In this game, although Manchester City did not have an overwhelming advantage in statistics, they still won steadily with goals from De Bruyne and Haaland. This shows Manchester City's strong strength and stability from one side.
Over the years, Manchester City, under the leadership of coach Pep Guardiola, have developed a clear tactical system and technical and tactical style. Regardless of the strength of their opponents, Manchester City have always maintained their style of play, which has laid the foundation for their long-term dominance in the Premier League.
In this game, although Nottingham Forest had a disadvantaged mentality, they still chose to respond with a positive attitude. City continued to execute their tactics, did not make mistakes due to the opponent's attack, and still managed to win the game they deserved.
This is a testament to the continuity and consistency of City's philosophy and execution.
On the offensive end, the contributions of De Bruyne and Haaland reflect the strength of Manchester City's multi-front. De Bruyne, as the heart of the wing, is an important fulcrum of the team's attack.
He opened the scoring in the game and made the most of his value in playmaking and passing, and was key to City's scoring. Haaland, on the other hand, represents the team's pure firepower. The impact of his return from injury has put a lot of pressure on the opposition defence.
The duo's goals showcased the versatility of City's attacking system, with not only a playmaking core but also pure finishers, making it extremely difficult for City to be blocked by their opponents.
In fact, this season, Manchester City's forward line is very luxurious, and the three central strikers of Haaland, Doku and Alvarez are all world-class.
But Pep Guardiola is still making clever rotations to keep players in shape and make it difficult for opponents to figure out the changes in attack. This attrition tactic, achieved through the rotation of a luxurious squad, is one of the key to City's long-term success.
And De Bruyne's performance in this game also fully demonstrated his comprehensive value as the core of Manchester City. The stats show that he has contributed six goals and 13 assists since 2023, the third-most goals in the Premier League so far.
De Bruyne can be both a playmaker and an outright finisher, contributing much more to the team than just the goal numbers. He has provided constant support for City's attack and has been an inspiration to the team as a whole.
Haaland's return from injury is no small feat. He is an important part of City's attacking line and a key weapon in the team's title-winning campaign. Haaland's high production capacity has been a big reason for Manchester City to maintain their dominance in the Premier League.
With him sidelined for a long period of time this season due to injury, City's attacking power has dropped. Now that Haaland has finally returned from injury, it will undoubtedly greatly enhance Manchester City's impact.
His luxurious front field with De Bruyne, Alvarez and others will surely put great pressure on the opposition defence. City's attacking problems have been completely resolved, and the hopes of a fourth consecutive title have become clearer.
In fact, Manchester City's current 31-game unbeaten streak has set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League. This result is a testament to the team's consistency and dominance.
What's even more remarkable is that in these 31 unbeaten games, Manchester City has won 25 games, which shows that the winning rate is very high. This shows that Manchester City are not only difficult to beat, but also have the ability to win.
This consistent and strong performance has given Manchester City a huge psychological advantage in the most crucial stage of the title race. Not only are they one point ahead of Arsenal, but they also have the advantage in points and unbeaten record, which will put a lot of pressure on Arsenal.
As long as Manchester City remains consistent and has the courage to attack, it will be difficult for them to be overtaken by Arsenal in the remaining four rounds. In other words, the title race has now begun to tilt in favor of Manchester City.