Sunday’s 1-0 home victory over Chelsea, which then saw Pep Guardiola’s first team presented with the Premier League title, helped set the seal on what has been another quite remarkable domestic season of achievement by our men’s team, Elite Development Squad and Under-18s.
That latest magnificent title success meant we have become the first Club to not only win and retain but now claim the Under-18 league titles (both regional and national), the Premier League 2 and the Premier League crowns in the same season for three years in a row.
The first of our latest trio of title successes was confirmed late last month when Brian Barry-Murphy’s Elite Development Squad retained our Premier League 2 crown.
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City’s Under-21s were in inspired form throughout the campaign, especially after the Christmas and New Year break, with our EDS side embarking on a magnificent 11-match unbeaten PL2 run from early November through to early April.
We then sealed a third successive title in late April thanks to a 3-0 triumph away at Blackburn Rovers, with City eventually finishing the season 13 points clear of second-placed Liverpool.
That superb achievement was then followed by Ben Wilkinson’s impressive Under-18 charges carving out their own place in Premier League history.
City had already retained our Under-18 Premier League North crown the same weekend that our EDS claimed their third title, eventually finishing the regional campaign four points in front of nearest challengers Sunderland.
Wilkinson’s youngsters then followed that fine triumph up in mid-May by winning the National crown for an unprecedented third year in a row.
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A thrilling 2-1 extra time victory at home to West Ham in front of our fans at the Etihad helped set the seal on what has been another magnificent campaign for Wilkinson and his players.
The latest stellar achievements of our EDS and Under-18s also capped superb second seasons at the helm for both Barry-Murphy and Wilkinson.
The pair each took up the reigns in the summer of 2021, succeeding Enzo Maresca and Carlos Vicens respectively - who are now both key parts of Pep Guardiola’s first team coaching set-up - and they have both made a huge impact ever since.
And an unforgettable season of league success was then capped at a raucous Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
There, amidst joyous scenes, Pep Guardiola’s City lifted the Premier League trophy for a third season in succession following our 1-0 win over Chelsea.
It was a fifth Premier League title in six seasons for City under the Catalan’s inspired guidance.
And it represented Guardiola’s 12th major honour in his seven astonishing years at the Etihad helm, with the Club also looking forward to an all-Manchester FA Cup final and Champions League final appearance against Inter of Italy next month.
Congratulations to Pep, Brian, Ben and all their backroom staff and players on a towering and momentous achievement.
