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How Manchester City would have fared if every season ended after 29 matches

Sports Mole looks at how Manchester City would have fared if every league season ended after 29 matches.

Long-serving Manchester City fans really have seen it all over the past two decades, from the Division Two lows to the Premier League title highs.

It may be easy to forget now following back-to-back top-place finishes in England's top flight, but City were a third-tier side some 21 years ago.

This campaign has not quite gone to plan for Pep Guardiola's men - in the league, at least - with the club a whopping 25 points adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool.

Given their four-point margin on third-place Leicester City with a game in hand to play, it is safe to assume that second place is as good as nailed on for the Citizens.

However, this is a season like no other. The coronavirus pandemic has forced a near worldwide sporting shutdown, with the Premier League being halted after 29 rounds of matches.

Premier League chiefs are desperate for the season to be played out in full, but there is a chance that the plug will be pulled completely should the situation not improve soon.

With that in mind, Sports Mole looks at how City would have fared down the years if every Premier League season ended at this exact point.


Manchester City players and staff celebrate winning the Premier League title on May 12, 2019© Reuters

If the 2011-12 season been ended prematurely, City would never have got the most magical moment in Premier League history.

In the final seconds of the final game of the campaign, Sergio Aguero drilled the ball home to earn a City a dramatic win against Queens Park Rangers.

It proved enough to snatch the title away from Manchester United, with City making up a one-point margin on their bitter rivals over the final eight games of the season.

Sergio Aguero wheels away after opening the scoring for Manchester City in their Premier League meeting with Burnley on October 20, 2018© Reuters

If that was a case of doing things the hard way, City made things even tougher for themselves in 2013-14 when moving from third after 29 matches played to first after 38 games.

In fact, even with two games to go Manuel Pellegrini's charges were below Chelsea and Liverpool in the table.

The Reds failed to see out their title challenge, though, and City took full advantage to lift the title for a second time in three seasons.

General view of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium taken September 2018© Reuters

Going further back, however, long before the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 and the riches it brought with it, things could have panned out a lot differently.

The 1993-94 Premier League season is best remembered for Man United holding off closest challengers Blackburn Rovers to win the title for a second season running.

Down the other end of the table, though, City just about avoided relegation after finishing in 16th place.

Had the season finished after the Citizens' 28th game - the same number they have played so far this term - they would have gone down in 19th.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts on February 26, 2020© Reuters

The opposite would have been true in 1995-96, meanwhile, as City slipped one place from 17th to 18th over the final two months of the season to drop out of the top flight.

Despite winning two and drawing one of their final three games that season, they were unable to stay above the dotted line and spent four seasons fighting to return to the Prem.

History has altered for both the better and worse for City during the Premier League era, then, but ultimately it has all worked out just fine in the end.


Full list of Premier League seasons:

1992-93 season
Position after 29 games: 10th
Final position: 9th

1993-94 season
Position after 29 games: 19th
Final position: 16th

1994-95 season
Position after 29 games: 15th
Final position: 17th

1995-96 season
Position after 29 games: 17th
Final position: 18th

2000-01 season
Position after 29 games: 18th
Final position: 18th

2002-03 season
Position after 29 games: 12th
Final position: 9th

2003-04 season
Position after 29 games: 16th
Final position: 16th

2004-05 season
Position after 29 games: 12th
Final position: 8th

2005-06 season
Position after 29 games: 10th
Final position: 15th

2006-07 season
Position after 29 games: 15th
Final position: 14th

2007-08 season
Position after 29 games: 8th
Final position: 9th

2008-09 season
Position after 29 games: 10th
Final position: 10th

2009-10 season
Position after 29 games: 5th
Final position: 5th

2010-11 season
Position after 29 games: 3rd
Final position: 3rd

2011-12 season
Position after 29 games: 2nd
Final position: 1st

2012-13 season
Position after 29 games: 2nd
Final position: 2nd

2013-14 season
Position after 29 games: 3rd
Final position: 1st

2014-15 season
Position after 29 games: 2nd
Final position: 2nd

2015-16 season
Position after 29 games: 4th
Final position: 4th

2016-17 season
Position after 29 games: 4th
Final position: 3rd

2017-18 season
Position after 29 games: 1st
Final position: 1st

2018-19 season
Position after 29 games: 1st
Final position: 1st

2019-20 season
Position after 29 games: 2nd
Final position: N/A

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Former Manchester City youngster David Faupala
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