Arsenal's 0-1 loss to Nottingham Forest helped Manchester City win the Premier League without having to play Chelsea. Of course, the Citizens still had a light 1-0 victory over The Blues after that to help the celebration at the Etihad more complete.
This is the third time in three years and the fifth time in six seasons that Man City have brought the Premier League silver Cup to the Etihad. And this is also the time when many people believe that Man City's success can bring acance.
On the one hand, Pep Guardiola's army is considered the best team in history since the formation of the Premier League. They destroyed their opponents with stable to cruelly and played perfect football. If you doubt that, ask Real Madrid - the 14-time Champions Legaue champions - how they collapsed at the Etihad?
However, Man City are also facing more than 100 allegations of violating Premier League financial regulations. The blue half of Manchester strongly denied all allegations and pledged to fight for explanation.
Man City were accused of 50 violations of providing inaccurate financial information, 8 violations related to employee remuneration from 2009 to 2013, 12 violations related to employee remuneration from 2010 to 2015.
In addition, there were five violations related to UEFA's financial regulations, 25 violations of profitability and sustainability, and 30 violations in supporting the Premier League investigation, starting in March 2019. If convicted, Man City will face penalties from fines and relegation points.
In the past, Usain Bolt won a gold medal as the world's greatest sprinter. Tiger Woods has been doing the same thing on the golf course for more than a decade. The same goes for the Lance Armstrong cyclist, but is eventually stripped of 7 consecutive Tour de France titles after being exposed for his competition cheating.
And until Man City have been able to remove their names from 115 allegations, their level of success cannot be measured. It could take years for those allegations to be resolved, whether it is a positive or negative one. And maybe Pep or many of Man City's current pillars will have left.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the truth is that Man City is too strong compared to the rest, at least in the Premier League.
The Citizens are dominating just as Manchester United did in the 1990s and 2000s, Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. They are playing the best football in the world, they recruit the best coaches and have many superstars including Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
Facing Chelsea, Pep made 9 changes compared to the win over Real Madrid. And according to estimates, Man City's "475 million pounds" are kept on the bench. But if you think Man City are just using money to overwhelm, look at the appearances of Phil Foden, Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer. This is proof that Man City not only knows how to spend money but also train well.
It should also be noted that while they won the Premier League for the third consecutive year, Man City did the same at the U21 and U18 levels - showing dominance at all levels. Money is clearly an advantage, but Man City builds a systematic system and has a clear youth training strategy.
Next season, Man City will have the opportunity to become the first team in English football history to win 4 consecutive championships.
If Man City continue to win the FA Cup and Champions League this season and complete the treble, they will officially be great. But from a purely football perspective, Man City is in a different category from the rest, and whether it is recognized or not still has to wait...
