Man City could eclipse Manchester United thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous habit

The time has passed when Manchester United were the permanent reference point for City of Manchester. If they used to be role models or targets, they can now seem more like a salutary warning. But at a time when City are four games away from knocking United out of the record books, from becoming the first team to become English champions in four consecutive seasons, the pertinent comparison may not be with one of the Pep Guardiolaformer teams.

Rather than his beloved Barcelona team, his City centurions or last season’s treble winners, there have been moments this year when City are more reminiscent of the finals era Sir Alex Ferguson sides. They were United teams that won because they had won in the past, that became champions with a feeling of relentless predictability, but that benefited from what happened before that.

Some opponents are intimidated by defeat before kick-off, defeated by reputation rather than reality, by memories of more illustrious teams, and if that certainly wasn’t the case for Nottingham Forest on Sunday, that’s how it feels at games in the Etihad Stadium, just like it used to be at Old Trafford. It could make it harder for any challenger, without that established fear factor, to take them down.

The 2-0 victory at the City Ground was notable for Kevin de Bruyne’s ability to unlock defences. It was also an occasion for solid citizens, with Guardiola praising the penalty box defense of Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji. If each is an illustration that City have more physicality than some of the diminutive teams Guardiola has played in the past, the reliance on powerful defenders is one way the 2023-24 class can look more pedestrian than some of their predecessors.

There were fewer football masterclasses in midfield, partly because City had less high-level technical talent in the center of the pitch, partly due to departures and injuries. A 29-pass move for the second goal in Nottingham was not in keeping with their performance: the fact that Guardiola brought on Mateo Kovacic for Jeremy Doku at half-time was an indication that City did not have enough stability in possession and highlighted that he feels more trustworthy in the manager to find solutions.

And yet the statistics suggest that this City team is one of England’s best ever. They are only the fourth to go 30 games without losing in all competitions: Forest were the first, under Brian Clough, Ferguson’s United the other two. In the Premier League, City are unbeaten in 19 matches, winning 15. It’s a similar run to United’s run of 16 wins from 18 in 2012-13, the Scot’s final season. Their penultimate title came in 2010-11 after starting the campaign without losing any of their first 24 league games. In each case, the achievement came from the results: neither is remembered today as one of Ferguson’s truly remarkable teams.

But winning can be a habit, an art and a science. It’s something that, especially with the right manager, can continue when personnel change. Some of these changes are caused by injuries. The formula for perpetual possession in midfield at the end of last season was based on six players. Of these, Jack Grealish has started 29 per cent of league games this season, De Bruyne 32 per cent, John Stones 35 per cent; for other reasons, Ilkay Gundogan none. If Stones can feel irreplaceable, given the difficulty of fielding a defender who can offer security anywhere in midfield, that leaves only Rodri and Bernardo Silva of those six in the starting lineup. Even so, the Portuguese, such as Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker, have not been among the starting 11 for around a quarter of the championship games. Even the best goalkeeper in football, Ederson, is injured again.

Meanwhile, the football player with the most Premier League minutes for City this season is Julian Alvarez, who is not in City’s strongest team but is in virtually every team. The 11 who started the second half against Forest – Stefan Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Rodri; Silva, De Bruyne, Grealish; Alvarez – contains half of a great team, but also some substitutes.

However, they only lost when Rodri was absent. They continue to work. Winning with style is Guardiola’s preference. Winning with some adversity, due to injuries, fatigue and departures, is a different feat. Winning under pressure is a trait many others might envy and City have often played after Arsenal; they’ve barely been at the top since October, but they’re the team the leaders just can’t shake, the unwanted presence on their shoulders.

They can finish the season unbeaten in 36 – albeit with a penalty shootout defeat – with a double. The feeling of victory may be natural and normal for them, a weekly ritual, regardless of who plays or how they play. It was Ferguson’s way. It became Guardiola’s too.