Set to sign new deal?
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Pep Guardiola’s reign over the Premier League seems set to continue, with numerous reports in England suggesting that the Manchester City manager is set to sign a one-year extension to his contract with the club. The Spaniard currently has a deal that runs until the end of this season, but on Tuesday the Athletic reported that Guardiola had agreed to a one-year extension of his current deal, along with the option to add an additional year. Should the Man City boss stay for the two further years, it would take his time at the English club to over a decade in charge of the Premier League champions.
In no uncertain terms, Guardiola’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium has heralded a new era of Premier League football that has seen Man City dominate the English top-flight. In his first eight seasons at the club, Guardiola won the league title six times and remains strong favourites to make it a fifth, consecutive success with this current league campaign. In that time Guardiola has also won two FA Cups, four English League Cups and Man City’s first ever Champions League in 2023. But it is undoubtedly in the Premier League where Man City have eviscerated their rivals and where English football fans are likely to see their dominance continue under Guardiola for the next two or three seasons.
Pep Guardiola’s remarkable Premier League record
While league trophies are the only real yardstick by which Man City’s success in the league will be compared to their rivals, a glance at the points amassed since 2016 really underlines the point. The graphic above illustrates the total points accumulated by Premier League clubs since Guardiola arrived at the start of the 2016/17 season. During this period, Man City have dominated the league with 739 points, showcasing their consistency and superiority under Guardiola’s tactical mastery. Liverpool, despite their impressive performances during this era, including winning the league in 2019-20, trail behind with 685 points. Arsenal comes in third with 586 points, reflecting their resurgence in recent seasons as a competitive force under Mikel Arteta.
Further down the list, Tottenham and Chelsea are tied with 568 points, although both clubs have faced managerial changes and periods of inconsistency. Manchester United, despite being a traditionally dominant club, have only managed 564 points, highlighting their struggles to maintain stability and performance since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Outside of the traditional “big six,” Everton, West Ham, Newcastle, and Crystal Palace round out the top ten, with points ranging from 405 to 370, reflecting their status as competitive mid-table teams over the last several seasons.
When we then compare Guardiola to his contemporaries in the dugout based on points won since he arrived in England, it once again showcases how he has dominated this era of the Premier League. As the graphic above illustrates, the Man City manager leads by a significant margin, accumulating 739 points in 315 games. This figure is unparalleled, underscoring his consistent dominance and success in the league. Jürgen Klopp follows in second place with 657 points from 304 games, reflecting his competitive tenure but still trailing Guardiola by 82 points despite managing fewer matches.
The graphic also showcases the achievements of other managers, such as Eddie Howe and Arteta, who have earned 362 and 355 points, respectively. Both managers have risen in prominence during Guardiola’s era, albeit with far fewer games than the likes of Klopp or Sean Dyche. Dyche, known for his work with Burnley and Everton, has managed 330 points across 286 games, proving his ability to compete in the league despite often working with limited resources. The data also highlights the contrasting fortunes of seasoned names like José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, who have also accumulated notable points but managed fewer games during this period due to their inability to hold down long-term jobs like Guardiola has done at Man City.
Whichever way we look at the data, there’s really no way of avoiding the fact that no club or manager has come close to the remarkable success that Man City and Guardiola have amassed since 2016. Of course, the Etihad side have done exactly this with untold fortunes spent in the transfer market and on player wages, leading to Man City exerting a financial might that most of their rivals could only dream of. But Guardiola has turned that financial advantage into a degree of sporting success that few other managers in the world could even think of emulating. And with an extension to his current contract now in place, it seems likely that the Spaniard’s dominance of the Premier League is set to rumble on for the foreseeable future.
