Where will Manchester City rank among Premier League teams all-time if they win the Champions League?
With yet another Premier League and FA Cup title to add to their trophy cabinet in 2023, Manchester City keep proving themselves to be one of the greatest teams in history to hail from England. While their accomplishments over the past 12 years or so have been nothing short of exceptional, there is one achievement that has eluded the champion club’s grasp.
That is a Champions League triumph, and with the final in Istanbul now just days away, Pep Guardiola’s men will just need to get past Serie A outfit Inter Milan if they are to end the drought and lift the big-eared trophy for the first time ever. There will be added motivation to do so as not only will Kevin De Bruyne and company create history by becoming the first Man City squad to reign supreme in Europe – they will also become just the second team from England to secure the treble (Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League).
City are heavily favoured to do so, with the men in sky blue garnering a price of 2/9 with most operators in the champions league winner betting odds.
The only team from the Premier League to have achieved that extremely difficult feat are the Sky Blues’ cross-city rivals Manchester United, who in addition to finishing atop the league table in 1999, defeated Newcastle United and Bayern Munich in the FA Cup and Champions League finals respectively en route to an incredible treble.
The fact it hasn’t been replicated in the 24 years since speaks volumes about how difficult it is, which is why City will be in the discussion for the greatest Premier League dynasty to have ever graced the pitch if they are successful in Turkey this weekend.
However, that begs the question, are they simply just in the discussion or will they be considered the best of all time should they get over the top of the Simone Inzaghi-managed side this weekend?
That’s a tough question to answer – however – with that in mind – read on as we dissect other clubs that an argument could be made for as the ‘Prem’s’ greatest dynasty.
Manchester United – Under Alex Ferguson
When dissecting the best football teams of all time, invariably you will hear the 90s, 2000s and 2010s Manchester United outfits mentioned. It’s easy to see why, as not only are they the only Premier League team to secure the much sought-after treble as mentioned earlier – but they also experienced so much success domestically that they became a global juggernaut commercially as a result.
With 13 Premier League titles from 1992/93 to 2012/13, all of which came under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils make a strong claim to the throne as the country’s most successful club. Couple that with four FA Cup titles and two Champions League gongs, and it’s hard to go past Ferguson’s United.
Arsenal – 2001-2004
If you’re talking purely from a talent perspective, there aren’t too many teams who come more talented than the Arsene Wenger-managed Arsenal in the early 2000s. Whether it be all-time great striker Thierry Henry, the brilliant facilitator in Dennis Bergkamp or the ever-reliable Patrick Vieira at the back, and the Gunners strike across the pitch made them unbeatable at their peak.
In fact, they were literally unbeatable in the 2003/04 season, as they didn’t lose a game throughout the entirety of their campaign. They became the first Premier League team to achieve the feat, a feat that hasn’t been repeated since. While their accomplishments at the European level aren’t as impressive, their dominance of the Prem and overall talent that existed within their squad ensures they are worthy of being in the discussion.
