With 20 games of the season already gone, Pep Guardiola’s men sit eight points clear at the top of the table as the new year approaches.
Our last league defeat came two months ago, and we have claimed statement wins away to Chelsea and Manchester United as well as a deserved draw at Liverpool already.
There is still a long way to go, but it’s a case of ‘so far, so good’ in our defence of the Premier League crown, with some incredible statistics in tow to back up that claim.
Below, you can find some of the numbers behind our success so far this season and how we also compare to our nearest rivals.
Strong start
City have picked up maximum points in 16 of our 20 Premier League matches so far this season, equating to a phenomenal win percentage of 80%.
Our nearest rivals in this category are Liverpool, who have won 63% of their 19 league games in 2021/22.
Guardiola’s men have claimed 50 Premier League points from a possible 60 on offer over the first five months of the campaign and boast a 100% record across both November and December.
Only in our 2017/18 Centurions campaign have we enjoyed a better record after 20 matches, and just three other sides in Premier League history have earned more than our points haul of 50 by this stage in the season (Chelsea in 2005/06 and Liverpool in both 2018/19 and 2019/20).
Goal share
So far, 16 different members of Pep Guardiola’s squad have found the back of the net in the Premier League this season.
Only Chelsea can match that record, while West Ham and Liverpool boast 14 different scorers since the opening day of the season.
Of outfield players to make at least five appearances for the Club in the Premier League this term, only Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kyle Walker are yet to find the net.
It’s a phenomenal statistic which yet again demonstrates the importance of the collective in City’s success.
Taking the lead
Seeing out results from winning positions is crucial for any title-challenging team, and City have demonstrated this on a ruthlessly consistent basis across 2021/22.
Guardiola’s men have taken the lead on 16 occasions so far this season and, incredibly, have gone on to win all 16 matches, picking up all 48 points available.
Only Norwich City have been able to match the feat in the Premier League, claiming victory in both of the games in which they have gone ahead, while only Chelsea (17) and Liverpool (16) can better or match the number of times we have taken the lead this season.
However, both are unable to emulate our 100% record, with Chelsea going on to draw four and lose one match from a winning position, while Liverpool have ultimately surrendered their lead on four occasions, including in our 2-2 draw at Anfield in October.
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Perfect 10
Victory away to Brentford on Wednesday evening represented City’s tenth in succession, the best winning run in the Premier League so far this season.
Only 16 teams have previously reached the milestone since 1992, while it’s the fourth occasion we have achieved ten in a row under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
The Catalan aside, no other manager in Premier League history has had more than two separate runs of 10+ wins.
Average possession
City also lead the way when it comes to possession stats over the opening 20 matches of the current Premier League campaign.
Guardiola’s men have enjoyed 67.4% possession in our 20 games across 2021/22, with Liverpool the only other side with more than 60% on average (63.04).
It’s been a similar story on an individual basis, with an astonishing four of the top five players in the Premier League with the highest passing figures plying their trade for City.
Joao Cancelo’s total of 1,605 passes is better than any other player in the English top flight this season, and he’s joined by teammates Ruben Dias (1,470), Aymeric Laporte (1,356) and Rodrigo (1,320) in the top five.
Only Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger (1,327) breaks our stranglehold, but Bernardo Silva’s haul of 1,085 also sees him comfortably inside the top 20.
It’s a similar story in terms of touches, with Cancelo once again leading the way with 2,075 – over 400 more than his closest rival in Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold - while Dias (1,624), Rodrigo (1,497) and Laporte (1,478) also all feature in the top six.
Defensive record
While City’s sumptuous attacking play has rightly earned plaudits so far this season, our defensive record has been equally impressive.
Guardiola’s men boast the meanest defence in the Premier League across 2021/22, conceding just 12 times in 20 matches so far.
We have kept the most clean sheets in the English top flight heading into 2022 as well, with Zack Steffen’s accomplished performance in our 2-0 win over Burnley adding to Ederson’s personal haul of 11.
The Brazilian, who has earned the most shut outs across each of the past two Premier League seasons, is on course to maintain his Golden Glove title once again with his nearest rivals coming in the form of Liverpool’s Alisson and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale (both on 9 clean sheets).
