Manchester City made history on Wednesday as they cruised to a routine 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round victory at Swansea City.
It was the 15th consecutive win across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders – setting a new record for any top-flight team in English football.
Sunday's comprehensive 4-1 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield brought them level with Arsenal's 1987 vintage and Preston North End back in 1892, who won 14 in a row.
Goals from Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus in Wales ensured City now hold the record outright.
In 2017-18, they prevailed in 20 consecutive matches, although there was a penalty shoot-out win over Wolves in the EFL Cup during that run and Opta classifies such matches as draws.
Given their recent record from the spot, it is perhaps handy that City have not required penalties in their current streak.
Here, we look at the numbers behind a dominant run unprecedented in scope.
Gundo in the goals
Sterling scored the goal that set City on their way into the record books, netting decisively in a 1-0 win at Southampton on December 19.
His goal at Swansea takes him to six in 10 starts during the period in question, the same as England colleague Phil Foden, who has played 905 minutes to Sterling's 856.
But it is Ilkay Gundogan who leads the way. The Germany international's brace against Liverpool improved upon what was already the most prolific season of his professional career.
In 13 appearances and 12 starts during the winning run, Gundogan has eight goals at an average of one every 124.5 minutes.
Jesus had to reckon with a positive coronavirus test during City's prolific stretch, although he now has five goals from seven starts, with a strike every 139.8 minutes second only to Gundogan in terms of frequency.
Kev the creator
PFA Players' Player of the Year Kevin De Bruyne was typically influential before suffering a hamstring injury during last month's 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Despite being restricted to eight appearances and 621 minutes on the field, his five assists are more than any of his team-mates have managed during this period.
Foden, Bernardo Silva (who also has three goals) and defensive midfielder Rodri are up next on three assists.
Extra time on the pitch has allowed Foden to rack up 28 chances created, ahead of De Bruyne with 24.
Gundogan's all-round importance is highlighted by his 21 opportunities laid on for others, while Joao Cancelo and Riyad Mahrez have crafted 18 and 17 respectively. All three have two assists apiece.
Dominant Dias
Ruben Dias was the only ever-present during the winning run until Guardiola allowed him to sit out the trip to Swansea.
The Portugal centre-back has been a transformative presence since joining for a club-record £62million from Benfica last September and was involved in nine clean sheets over the course of the 15 matches – one more than his centre-back partner John Stones and first-choice goalkeeper Ederson.
Dias' 21 interceptions are the most during this time from any City player, as are his 1,141 passes at a completion rate of 92.81 – better than any colleague to have played three games or more.
Headed clearances and aerials won are also categories where Dias performs strongly, although Rodri leads the way here with 18 and 41 respectively.
The Spain international has won 31 one of his aerials, level with Aymeric Laporte and no one can better his 27 tackles – a stock in trade for a man operating at the base of the midfield.
Rodri's importance to the cause means the sight of him limping off during the second half at the Liberty Stadium could compromise City when the look to swagger on this weekend against Tottenham – the last side to beat them competitively, 23 matches ago.
Manchester City’s injury problems ease ahead of FA Cup final
Treble-chasing Manchester City could be close to full strength as they take on arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
The champions have had fitness concerns in the build-up to the Wembley showpiece.
Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed last weekend’s final Premier League game of the season at Brentford for a variety of reasons.
Training for the quartet was also curtailed as City opted not to take risks ahead of what is a momentous period in the club’s history with the Champions League final to follow next week.
Manager Pep Guardiola says the whole squad is now looking fit and healthy.
He said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”
One member of City’s first-choice XI who will not start, however, is goalkeeper Ederson.
Back-up Stefan Ortega has featured in all domestic cup fixtures this season and, after also playing in two of the last three Premier League games, will be given the nod at Wembley.
“Stefan is going to play,” said Guardiola of the German, who has not conceded a goal in the FA Cup this term.
“I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”
Guardiola is preparing for a tough contest against a United side who will not be short of incentives at Wembley.
As well the usual cup final and derby motivations, United are also bidding to prevent City emulating their so far unique achievement of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
City thrashed United 6-3 early in their manager Erik ten Hag’s reign back in October but Guardiola feels they are a considerably better side now.
He said: “A final is special for itself but what United have been doing in the last four, five, six months – they are a completely different team from the beginning of the season when we faced them here.
“I have the feeling that the team has improved from the beginning of the season – the patterns are more clear and the quality they have.”
Guardiola insists he is taking the fixture in isolation and not yet thinking about it in the context of a potentially glorious treble.
He said: “It would be good for us if we think about what we have to do to win one game.
“We have to analyse the strength of our opponent and see the weaknesses they have. The focus is, it’s a football game, that’s the most important thing.
“What’s (said) outside is normal, we cannot control it, but the last two games of the season we have to do what we have to do on the pitch to win the game.”
Pep Guardiola eases fitness concerns over Man City players ahead of FA Cup final
Pep Guardiola has eased concerns over the fitness of a number of key Manchester City players ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday.
Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed the champions’ final Premier League game of the season at Brentford last week.
Those players have all since returned to training and are expected to come back into contention for both the Wembley showpiece and next weekend’s Champions League final in Istanbul.
City manager Guardiola said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”
Guardiola has also confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start at Wembley, in keeping with his usual policy for domestic cup fixtures.
The German, who started two of the last three Premier League games, has not yet conceded in the FA Cup this season.
Guardiola said: “Stefan is going to play. I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”
Antony ‘unlikely’ to feature in FA Cup final as Man Utd suffer further setback
Manchester United have been hit by a setback for Antony ahead of the FA Cup final, with Erik ten Hag saying it is “unlikely” the winger will be fit to face Manchester City.
The 23-year-old winger went down in agony last Thursday during the first half of the penultimate Premier League game of the season against Chelsea.
Antony left on a stretcher and Ten Hag feared a “serious” injury, only to allay concerns three days later by saying the “first assessment is not too bad” and that he had a “good opportunity” to face City.
But this week has not gone as well as expected and the Brazil international now looks set to miss the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.
“Unlikely (he will be fit),” he said. “Dos Santos (Antony) still has a chance but it’s a really small chance.
“He didn’t make the progress, so he still has a chance but unlikely he is available.”
Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek have long since been ruled out of the final, while Anthony Martial’s injury-hit season will end on the sidelines.
The 27-year-old strained a hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s win against Fulham and will miss the Wembley showdown after scans showed a muscle tear.
“These questions so many times about the absence of players in the last couple of months,” Ten Hag said.
“Every time I say the same answer: it’s about the players who are available and many times we were successful.
“We have a good squad and from that good squad we make a good team.”
Absentee-hit United wrapped up third spot last weekend and are looking to complete the domestic cup double for the first time, having lifted the Carabao Cup in February.
View this post on InstagramTen Hag says Saturday will be a “good test” against Premier League champions City, who are looking to take another step towards the treble by winning at Wembley.
United fans are desperate for their side to extinguish those dreams as Pep Guardiola’s men look to replicate Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 treble heroes.
“We want to win, we want to win a cup,” Ten Hag said. “It’s not about stopping them. It is about that we win, that we win the cup. We have a great opportunity.
“That’s great that we deserved that opportunity to be in the cup final and then meet Man City. That’s a great opportunity.
“We fought so hard for it. I think we progressed that well that we are in that FA Cup final.”
City won this season’s first meeting 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium, with United coming back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.
Ten Hag’s Red Devils finished 14 points behind the Premier League winners and a big summer lies ahead as they look to launch a sustained title challenge.
View this post on Instagram“I think they do a very good job,” the Dutchman said days after Ferguson named Guardiola as LMA Manager of the Year – a trophy that carries the United great’s name.
“They play very good football, so they deserve it.
“Of course I look at others because they are opponents and I evaluate it, but we look to ourselves.
“You have to see where you are as club. From thereon, you have to make progress and I think we did over the last season.
“We make very good progress, we are in a good direction and now we use the coming period as well.
“Now we get the opportunity in the summer to make new targets, new goals on the short term.
“But the longer term, yeah, that will stay the same. As I said last year, we want to restore Man United but we have a way to go.”
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