Brighton in Brighton: the city's twin title

The symmetry was almost perfect between Manchester City's defense of our Premier League crown at Brighton's Amex Stadium.

To win consecutive crowns at the Seagulls' home, the astonishing history of the City double has almost completed the loop.

If we go back 21 months to August 21, 2017, it is on the atmospheric site of the south coast of the city that the historic adventure following the title in the Premier League of City really began to take shape.

The long trip to Amex this late summer afternoon marked the first mission of a 2017/18 campaign that would eventually create City, not only by creating history, becoming the first camp of English history to amass 100 points, but garnering praise from all over the world. of the world for the fascinating way in which this success has been achieved.

While this Sunday proved to be a nervous affair – at least during a hectic first half-hour – the initial shock of the first day of last season was also a game of patience.

Newly promoted to the highest level after finishing runner-up in the previous season, Brighton has proved to be a formidable opponent.

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One side of the city with three beginners in Ederson, Kyle Walker and Danilo, as well as his compatriot signing the summer Bernardo Silva, who came out of the bench, struggled to impose our authority for much of the match with the menacing Seagulls several times.

In what was a tight and tense affair, we had to wait until the 70th minute and an exquisite finish on the part of the supreme predator. Sergio Aguero before we can finally open the Seagulls' stubborn defense and break the resistance of the hosts.

Five minutes later, a goal by Brighton defender Lewis Dunk allowed City to return to Manchester with all three points – and more importantly – with heightened conviction and increased confidence in the rigors ahead.

This was the perfect way to start the season.

And what is even more significant, is that this victory was the prelude to an unmatched campaign in terms of scale of success and adherence to a beautiful football brand, invisible in football English.

City has become not only the first camp to cross the 100-point barrier, previously unimaginable, but to achieve this goal with bright blue brushstrokes that have garnered universal acclaim with the Carabao Cup also bagged for good measure.

Record after record, the wake of City collapsed and the team has also accumulated an impressive number of wins in 18 wins on all competitions before Christmas.

Most points (100), highest number of wins (32), most goals (106), most wins (16), most margin for the title (19 points) … the roll of honor was both dizzying and impressive, but also prompted relevant question.

How do you follow this?

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It was a problem that was in the foreground Pep Guardiola's the spirit at the start of this season, but his players have risen dramatically.

The city may have finished two points before recording this year the totem total points of the century. But in all respects, there is one argument to make: our triumph in the title, if not nothing, was an even bigger feat.

The fact that no English team has been able to defend their title in the Premier League for 10 years until this weekend says a lot about the extent of City's achievements.

Other factors still highlight the magnitude of our consecutive success.

To begin with, City had more players (16) than any other club involved in last summer's World Cup finals in Russia – an exhausting performance that lasted a month and which only took end of July.

The 2017/18 talisman also hurt Guardiola players Kevin De Bruyne absent for a good part of the season and former key midfield presenter Fernandinho set aside for 10 weeks of the campaign.

That's not counting the fact that the left-back Benjamin Mendy We were once again forced to miss the majority of the season due to a number of frustrating injuries, which means that we have again worked without the left-back for the bulk of the campaign.

City also had to overcome the fatigue factor, having played eight more games than Liverpool's runner-up because of his Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals and the last eight Champions League games. . In total, we have played 60 games in all competitions so far this season, but an FA Cup final is not yet won.

But there was especially the formidable specter of the challenge launched by Liverpool who, in 2019, had opened a seven-point lead over City.

It turned out to be a titanic fight that saw the top of the table change hands 32 times during the campaign.

Following the disappointment of a fourth-season defeat at Newcastle in late January, City knew there was no room for maneuver. This proved that we have embarked on a phenomenal series of 13 consecutive victories.

This is how the meeting of Sunday with City, Brighton, on the sunny south coast, the part of Guardiola knowing that there was no room for error.

As at our last meeting at Amex 21 months earlier, the opening was tense and stressful, especially as the Seagulls took the lead in the first half of Glenn Murray just after the news had filtered through the fact that Liverpool was leading ahead. their last home game against the Wolves.

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The lower parts would have faded under pressure and expectations.

However, City simply redoubled attention and attention to the details that were the key words of our success. In 83 seconds, we moved up a gear thanks to Sergio Aguero.

As anxiety levels have been reduced, City has risen to the challenge and done the very best – producing the highest quality of football in the toughest stress tests.

Great goals followed by Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan who both broke the Seagulls' resistance and earned a 14th consecutive league victory to give the ultimate prize for a second consecutive Premier League title.

From Brighton to Brighton, the numbers alone proved that the jaw was down.

198 points were collected in 76 games, including the historic elimination of 100 points last season. With an average of 2.61 points per game, it's a figure that defies almost every belief.

In addition to this city, scored 106 goals last season, recording 32 wins and 100 points.

This time, we have looted 95 league goals, scoring 32 more wins and conceding just 22 goals.

It's the kind of champion in all languages.

And for the record, here's how we aligned ourselves in these two clashes in Brighton:

Brighton v City (12 August 2017): Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Stones, Danilo, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D Silva, G Jesus, Aguero

Subs: Bravo, Mangala, Yaya Toure, Foden, Sterling, Bernardo, Sane

Brighton v City (May 12, 2019): Ederson, Walker, Zinchenko, Kompany, Laporte, Gundogan, Silva D, Sterling, Mahrez, Aguero, Bernardo

Submarines: De Bruyne, Danilo, Otamendi, Jesus, Muric, Stones, Sane

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