Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League continues unabated as they sit atop the standings with a perfect record after four games. Their impressive start has fueled speculation about whether they can extend their title reign to an unprecedented five consecutive seasons.
Former City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips believes the team has the potential to achieve this feat. “There is nothing wrong with them being able to win it again,” he said. “The team is pretty much the same.”
Wright-Phillips highlights the additions of Sylvinho and Ilkay Gundogan as key factors in City’s strength. “They give City a different edge and make them stronger in a different way,” he said.
Despite losing Julian Alvarez, Wright-Phillips believes City’s ability to adapt and find solutions is a testament to their resilience. “City have a knack of finding a way to deal with it and the players who are in there step up and do what they need to do,” he said.
The diminutive winger attributes City’s success to the mentality instilled by manager Pep Guardiola and the players. “The mentality they have for being at their best all the time is incredible,” he said.
Erling Haaland’s prolific start to the season, with nine goals in four matches, has further bolstered City’s title hopes. “He came to the club to score goals and he is doing exactly what he came to do,” said Wright-Phillips. “He is smashing every individual record that’s humanly possible to do in the space of two years.”
Wright-Phillips identifies Arsenal and Liverpool as City’s main challengers for the title. “You can’t write off Arsenal. They are a fantastic team with a fantastic manager,” he said. “You can’t write off Liverpool even though they have a new manager. It will be within those three teams.”
However, Wright-Phillips believes the early clash between City and Arsenal could have an impact on the title race. “In many ways, City vs Arsenal has come too early,” he said. “It would have been better 10-15 games in because the players would have been a lot sharper.”
