Are Manchester City about to become the easiest team to beat in English football?

[Happy Blue]

Latest Trinity Mirror Data Unit research looks at how title-winning teams perform once they have won the Premier League

 

Manchester City could be crowned Premier League champions on April 7th with six games to go, which could be good news for Huddersfield Town.

Should City win the title next weekend it wouldn't be too surprising to see Pep Guardiola switch his focus to the Champions League and rest key players for what will essentially become meaningless games for his side.

Motivation for the remaining matches could also be a little low amongst the squad, so might they suddenly become one of the easier teams in the league to beat?

To find out, Trinity Mirror's Data Unit have had a look at all the games played by the last 20 title winning sides after they’d secured the title.

Overall, those teams won 47% of their remaining games, drew 24% and lost 29%.

While that’s hardly title-winning form it does suggest that they don’t automatically become pushovers.

Take Manchester United’s 1999/00 title winning side for example - they won the league with four games to go that year and won all four of them.

In 2004/05 Chelsea won the title with three games to spare and won the first two of those and drew the last. They had two games to spare last season and won both of those, while Leicester City won one and drew one of the two games that followed them winning the league in 2016.

There are examples of teams who collapsed after securing the title though; Manchester United won the league with five games to go in 2000/01.

They drew their first game after securing the title, won the next but then lost their last three.

Arsenal lost both of the games that followed them securing the title in 1997/98 as did Chelsea in 2005/06 while Manchester United drew one and lost one after winning the league in 2006/07.

Year | Champion | Games left | Average points

2017 | Chelsea | 2 | 3.0 
2016 | Leicester | 2 | 2.0 
2015 | Chelsea | 3 | 1.3 
2014 | Manchester City | 0 | n/a 
2013 | Manchester United | 4 | 1.3 
2012 | Manchester City | 0 | n/a 
2011 | Manchester United | 2 | 1.5 
2010 | Chelsea | 0 | n/a 
2009 | Manchester United | 1 | 3.0 
2008 | Manchester United | 0 | n/a 
2007 | Manchester United | 2 | 0.5 
2006 | Chelsea | 2 | 0.0 
2005 | Chelsea | 3 | 2.3 
2004 | Arsenal | 4 | 2.0 
2003 | Manchester United | 1 | 3.0 
2002 | Arsenal | 1 | 3.0 
2001 | Manchester United | 5 | 0.8 
2000 | Manchester United | 4 | 3.0 
1999 | Manchester United | 0 | n/a 
1998 | Arsenal | 2 | 0.0

 

[Marc]

There may be a slight dip in form, but I doubt it will be as drastic as the above table. Pep has incredibly high standards and he also has probably the strongest and biggest squad out of all the above teams.

If City rest players they are bringing in Stones, Yaya, Bernado Silva, Jesus.

[bozziovai]

this could be liken to when you already facked the woman that you've crave for.    once you've facked her, you can just leave her coz it doesn't matter anymore, you got her.    

if City wins it with just 6 games left, well, those 6 games win or lose won't matter coz the title is already secured    

[Mel81x+]

Pep wants to win everything and I highly doubt he's just going to rest all his players for the sake of the CL. Rotation and match time is key to winning that tournament and I highly doubt he wants to have any kind of blemish on this season.

[Rick]

2 hours ago, bozziovai said:

this could be liken to when you already facked the woman that you've crave for.    once you've facked her, you can just leave her coz it doesn't matter anymore, you got her.   

Ya what? 😂

[Happy Blue]

On 31/03/2018 at 10:08, Mel81x said:

Pep wants to win everything and I highly doubt he's just going to rest all his players for the sake of the CL. Rotation and match time is key to winning that tournament and I highly doubt he wants to have any kind of blemish on this season.

We beat united this weekend and we win the title so every league game after don't matter

[Guest]

On 31/03/2018 at 09:50, bozziovai said:

this could be liken to when you already facked the woman that you've crave for.    once you've facked her, you can just leave her coz it doesn't matter anymore, you got her.    

if City wins it with just 6 games left, well, those 6 games win or lose won't matter coz the title is already secured    

[Mel81x+]

9 hours ago, Happy Blue said:

We beat united this weekend and we win the title so every league game after don't matter

While thats true I still don't think Pep wants to lose any. Think about it you'll have beaten every team in the league this season and I am sure he wants to see the other players he rotates in doing well. I don't think you'll will take your foot off the pedal and its good practice for the CL too.

[Happy Blue]

2 hours ago, Mel81x said:

While thats true I still don't think Pep wants to lose any. Think about it you'll have beaten every team in the league this season and I am sure he wants to see the other players he rotates in doing well. I don't think you'll will take your foot off the pedal and its good practice for the CL too.

Hopefully we will get a look at more of the youth players

[Stan]

Turns out City are easy to beat  

[Inverted]

2 hours ago, Stan said:

Turns out City are easy to beat  

Everyone who laughed at this thread took a serious L from Happy Blue.

[Happy Blue]

21 hours ago, Inverted said:

Everyone who laughed at this thread took a serious L from Happy Blue.

Correct, we sprinted towards the finish line and with it in sight, we have eased right off   ...now is the time to get points from us while our players are holding back trying to stay fit for the world cup