How Manchester City won the title: Five key matches from their spectacular Premier League season

Pep Guardiola's side are on course to be the best team of the Premier League era

Manchester City have led the way in the Premier League since September (Getty)

Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2

An ugly win on a beautiful day down at the seaside.

An early Charlie Daniels strike rocked Manchester City back on their heels and even after Gabriel Jesus’ first-half equaliser, it looked for a while as though the pre-season title favourites would win just one of their opening three games.

Then, in the seventh minute of added-on time, Raheem Sterling clipped a winning goal past Asmir Begovic to secure a scrappy three points. He celebrated so wildly with the travelling supporters that he was sent off, while Sergio Aguero

Manchester City 5 Liverpool 0

The season’s sliding doors moment?

Sadio Mané’s sending off for a high boot on Ederson was absolutely deserved and the correct decision, but would Liverpool have been so badly beaten if he had kept his foot down? Jürgen Klopp would certainly not have taken Mohamed Salah off at half time if he still had 11 men on the pitch.

City, in any case, were already 1-0 ahead by the time of Mané’s dismissal and were finding plenty of openings against a disorganised Liverpool defence. Pep Guardiola’s side proceeded to walk over their visitors in the second half, registering their first statement win of the season.

Watford 0 Manchester City 6

Before this emphatic victory on the road, City were neck-and-neck with Manchester United at the top of the table, only trailing behind their rivals on goal difference.

Sergio Aguero’s first hat-trick of the season - plus strikes from Jesus, Nicolas Otamendi and Sterling - blew Watford away at Vicarage Road and United’s 4-0 win over Everton the following day was not enough to retain top spot.

Guardiola’s men were now at the summit and held a lead they would never relinquish.

Chelsea 0 Manchester City 1

A changing of the guard and just one of several magnificent performances from Kevin de Bruyne.

So often the maestro, De Bruyne was instead City’s match-winner against his former club, providing the decisive individual moment of excellent team display.

The defending champions had no answer to the patient persistence of Guardiola’s side, who were without Sergio Aguero, injured in a car accident in Amsterdam just 48 hours earlier. The Argentine’s absence was not felt though, as De Bruyne’s second-half drive past a helpless Thibaut Courtois sealed three important points.

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 2

It says everything about City’s dominance this season that our final entry comes from December. Any realistic hope Manchester United had of stopping their rivals was extinguished with this Old Trafford defeat.

Two set-piece goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi, either side of a Marcus Rashford equaliser, were the least that City deserved from a dominant, authoritative display against the fearful hosts.

Jose Mourinho appeared to accept it would be difficult for his side long before kick-off and parked his bus accordingly, but the manner of United’s defeat was difficult to swallow.

After taking umbrage with City’s post-match dressing room celebrations, clashes broke out between players and staff members of both clubs. It was the most fight United had shown all day.