Pep Guardiola will take charge of his 200th Premier League game for Manchester City when Crystal Palace visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Since arriving in 2016, Guardiola has guided City to the league title three times while setting a string of records, including most points in a season, most goals, most wins in a season and more.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at six standout games during his reign so far.
Manchester United 1 Manchester City 2 – September 10, 2016
Renewing his rivalry with former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, Guardiola quickly claimed the upper hand just four games into their first season on opposite sides of Manchester. City’s performance was better than the scoreline suggested as goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho put them in charge. A mistake from City’s debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pull one back, and put the spotlight on Guardiola’s decision to sideline Joe Hart. City won their first 10 games of the season but could not sustain such form, finishing third as Bravo continued to struggle.
Manchester City 4 Tottenham 1 – December 16, 2017
City outclassed Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side in every department to sweep to victory under a freezing fog in Manchester. Ilkay Gundogan earned a half-time lead before De Bruyne made sure and Raheem Sterling added a late brace but they could have had many more, and Cristian Eriksen did not bother to celebrate Tottenham’s stoppage-time consolation. The win, number 16 in a record-breaking run of 18, meant City had beaten all of their title rivals as their lead moved to a colossal 21 points.
Southampton 0 Manchester City 1 – May 13, 2018
The title had long since been wrapped up by the time City headed to St Mary’s on the final day, but there was history on the line as they sought a first-ever 100-point haul and a record 32nd top-flight victory in a single season. It looked like Southampton, needing a point to be sure of safety, had done enough to frustrate those ambitions but Gabriel Jesus struck with virtually the last kick of the game to make history – and give City their 106th league goal of the season – another Premier League record.
Manchester City 6 Chelsea 0 – February 10, 2019
Engaged in a tight battle with Liverpool, Guardiola’s City were at their ruthless best as they demolished Chelsea, who suffered their worst defeat in almost 40 years. Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick for a second successive home game, Sterling got two and Gundogan added the other as City returned to the top of the table. Every win was needed as Liverpool pushed City all the way, finishing the season with 97 points to City’s 98.
Manchester City 4 Liverpool 0 – July 2, 2020
The tables turned the following season as Liverpool ended a 30-year wait for the title – secured when City lost at Chelsea a week before the sides were scheduled to meet. After giving Jurgen Klopp’s men a guard of honour, City ripped them apart to lay down a marker for the following campaign. De Bruyne opened the scoring from the penalty spot with 25 minutes gone before Sterling and Phil Foden effectively won it before the break, with Liverpool’s misery completed by an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal.
Liverpool 1 Manchester City 4 – February 7, 2021
Behind closed doors, City stumbled through the first few weeks of their title defence, sitting a lowly ninth after a 1-1 home draw with West Brom 13 games in. But they responded by winning their next 21 in all competitions, 13 in the Premier League, to take control of the title race. The highlight was their first win at Anfield since 2003 as Foden shone and Alisson Becker crumbled. Gundogan missed a first-half penalty but made amends early in the second half, then restored City’s lead after Mohammad Salah’s spot-kick. Sterling added a third but Foden’s brilliant fourth was one of the standout moments of City’s third title under Guardiola.
