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Manchester City Have a Chance to Be Better Than Last Season

By Dan Larsen

NEWPORT, WALES - FEBRUARY 16: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newport County AFC and Manchester City at Rodney Parade on February 16, 2019 in Newport, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
NEWPORT, WALES - FEBRUARY 16: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newport County AFC and Manchester City at Rodney Parade on February 16, 2019 in Newport, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Business is picking up for Manchester City Football Club!

City put a 7-0 drubbing on Schalke in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night to advance to the Quarterfinal of the competition for the second successive year. It was, arguably, their best performance in any knockout stage game in their several seasons in the competition.

As of the writing of this article, City remain in all three ongoing competitions, and they have already won the League Cup for the second successive season.

As crazy as it sounds, however, this City team has flown a bit under the radar. The team has, in many respects, been as good or better this season as they were in their history setting season last year. Let’s take a look at how this City team stacks up to last season’s side at this point in the season.

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Through Matchday 30, City are currently 7 points off (74) their record shattering pace from last season (81). However, the advanced stats suggest this City side have been nearly as good or better in the EPL than they were last season.

According to understat.com, City’s expected points through Matchday 30, 71.82, are less than a point off of their expected points total from this point last year (72.65). Their expected goals for in the EPL is actually a bit better this season (76.75), than it was at this point last year (73.56). City’s expected goal difference is one goal BETTER (55) than it was at this point last year (54).

Even looking at the more traditional stats yields similar results. City have only scored six goals less through this point in the season (79) than they had at this point last year (85). They’ve only conceded one more goal (21) this year than did last year as well (20). Their goal difference of plus 58 has only been topped once since 1993-94 at this stage of the season.

What does this all mean? It means this City side, despite being in a historically close title race with Liverpool, have been playing at a comparable level to their side last season.

It’s an even more impressive feat when you consider that several of the top six sides are much better than they were last year.

Liverpool are ten points better off than they were at this point last season, and they’re eight points better than the second place side (Manchester United) was at Matchday 30 last year. Arsenal are 15 points better off, even though they’ve played one more game this year, than they were at this point last year. Even Chelsea, for all of the chaos that’s surrounded the club in recent weeks, are a point better (57), with one less game played, than they were at this date last year.

Thus, despite the improvement from their closest competition, City have been able to maintain their incredible level.