Man City raising the bar every year

Manchester, May 20

After the celebrations come the questions. A fourth straight Premier League title for Manchester City marks an unprecedented period of dominance by a team in English football.

A sixth in seven seasons underlines City’s superiority in a league that is widely regarded as the most competitive — and certainly the most popular — in the sport.

But, does City’s pre-eminence mean England’s top division is in danger of becoming a turn-off for billions of fans worldwide? Pep Guardiola doesn’t think so.

“It’s boring? It’s not. It is so difficult,” the City manager said last week as his team closed in on another title.

City’s run of success bares comparison to the likes of Germany where Bayern Munich had turned the Bundesliga into a one-horse race until their 11-year winning streak was ended by Bayer Leverkusen this season. Celtic have won all but one of the last 13 titles in Scotland.

Neither of those leagues are as popular as England’s top flight and a lack of competition could be a reason why.

That is not City’s problem. But, if four in a row becomes five, six, or seven, it could be a problem for all of England’s leading clubs if it impacts the revenues generated by the sale of global broadcast rights. The competition is what makes the Premier League such box office entertainment. And, for now, that competition is still evident. City needed to win their final game of the season against West Ham United to finally hold off the challenge of Arsenal and clinch the title. — AP