Neil Leigh: An electric atmosphere
Some games you know just carry that little bit more meaning.
Such as our opening encounter of 2019 when City ushered in the New Year with a seismic Premier League home clash against Liverpool who, at the time, were riding high at the top of the table.
With the Anfield side arriving at the Etihad seven points clear, the arithmetic was crystal clear.
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Lose and our title challenge would have been rendered all but impossible while a draw would have also left Jurgen Klopp’s side very much in the ascendancy.
To really reignite our challenge to retain the crown, only a victory would suffice.
It was a clash that captured everyone’s imagination and it also served to inspire a raucous, inspirational atmosphere amongst the City faithful.
The Etihad was a veritable cauldron of noise from start to finish as the fans did their bit to try and inspire Pep Guardiola’s players.
And to a man, woman and child, every single one more than delivered.
In what proved a pulsating, passionate collision between England’s two leading sides, City emerged 2-1 victors thanks to superb goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.
It was an example of roar power at its most vibrant….
Robert Pollard: Lifting the FA Cup
A beautiful end to a near-perfect season.
No side had ever won all four English trophies in a single season until Manchester City in 2018-19.
It takes consistency, quality, hard work and mental strength to win the lot and this side did it.
And we did it in style, too. A 6-0 win in the FA Cup final against Watford saw us complete the set and the trophy lift afterwards was a chance for us all to finally relax and bask in the glory of our momentous achievement.
Caroline Oatway: Vincent Kompany’s cracker
Cometh the hour, cometh the captain…
The man who bleeds Manchester City; the man who has led this Club to its recent success, guiding us through the most challenging moments with courage, passion and incredible leadership.
It is fitting that a man, who has played such a significant role in City’s achievements over the past ten years, would have such a key impact on our most recent accomplishment – and his last in sky blue.
Vincent Kompany has stepped up when City needed him most, leading by example and producing some of the most important moments in the Club’s history, including some iconic goals.
From THAT header against United to the strike against West Ham to the Cup Final goal at Wembley and everything in between, the Belgian has steered City to glory.
And still, no-one could ever have predicted that he would be the man to put the Champions on the brink of unprecedented success once more in such astonishing circumstances, when City hosted Leicester on the penultimate game of the Premier League season.
With 20 minutes remaining and the game deadlocked at 0-0, the tension could have been cut with a knife. Chance after chance had been spurned and City needed a moment of inspiration.
When Kompany decided to take matters into his own hands, lining up a shot from 25 yards, cries of: “No, don’t shoot!” could be heard – both in the stands and on the pitch.
Kompany had never scored from outside the box – never mind from that distance and with so much on the line – but thankfully, he fancied his chances this time around, saving his best City goal for last.
The Belgian centre-back struck a glorious swerving effort into the top corner to spark delirium in the stands. Little did the Blue Army know, it would be the last time we’d see such scenes of our Captain Fantastic.
The goal clinched the three points we craved and City went on to secure back-to-back Premier League titles with a thumping win at Brighton, followed by our Fourmidable FA Cup success a week later.
In the aftermath of the Wembley triumph, Kompany announced his departure, after 11 years in sky blue, prompting an outpouring of emotion from all connected to the Club. Therefore, how appropriate it was that he would play such a momentous part in helping City to clinch an accomplishment that had never been done before – a complete collection of English trophies – by lifting the first trophy he won here.
Thank you, Vinnie.
David Clayton: Kun’s crucial leveller
City had just fallen behind, Liverpool were leading and, for 10 minutes or so the Premier League trophy was heading to Anfield.
It was the final day nightmare scenario we had all dreaded.
Glenn Murray’s header really had put a cat among the Seagulls – how would City respond? Would be able to respond? Had the occasion finally gotten to this incredible football team?
Of course it hadn’t.
Just 83 seconds passed before Aymeric Laporte fizzed in a low pass to David Silva who instinctively flicked it into Sergio Aguero’s path and who else but the Club’s all-time record goal-scorer would you want to have the chance to level the scores?
Aguero latched on to the ball, drove it low and hard and through the Brighton keeper to make it 1-1.
Parity and sanity restored and the Blues then just got on with it.
How important was it that we levelled so quickly? We will never truly know, but it felt pretty crucial…
John Edwards: John Stones’ remarkable clearance
In the moment, it’s goals which provide us with a feeling like no other and there were plenty to choose from this season.
But as we reflect on a title race of the highest quality, John Stones’ clearance against Liverpool stands out as a landmark moment in what proved to be a truly memorable campaign.
City’s season twice hinged on minute margins. At Turf Moor in the run in, when Sergio Aguero bundled home by 29.5mm and at the Etihad Stadium for a January game billed as a title decider.
It was a game we had to win and though Leroy Sane got the goal to seal the three points, he would have only been rescuing a draw if it wasn’t for Stones.
It was football drama at its best as Sadio Mane’s effort came back off the post and Stones sent his clearance crashing into Ederson.
Hearts were in mouths as it rebounded towards the goal, with Mohamed Salah running in to make sure it crossed the line, but Stones, stretching every sinew, poked it clear.
Safe by 11mm.
In many ways it encapsulated up the title race. City pushed all the way by an unrelenting opponent but finding a way to come out on top.
But for this clearance, we may not of done. It was a heroic bit of defending.
