Relentless Man City seek record four titles in a row

LONDON: Winning four successive top-flight titles has proved beyond any team or manager in the history of English football but if any club can break new ground it is Manchester City.

Fuelled by the wealth of their Abu Dhabi owners, City have emulated treble-winning rivals Manchester United's dominance of the late 1990s and early 2000s, raising the bar to new levels.

Under Spanish mastermind Pep Guardiola they have won five of the last six Premier League titles and last season also won the FA Cup and expanded their domestic dominance to the continent as they lifted the Champions League for the first time.

It could be argued that after crowning the treble with victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul, Guardiola has reached his zenith and there is nothing else for him to achieve with City.

But Guardiola's hunger for constant improvement, allied with the fact that a record fourth successive title is up for grabs, means there will be no let-up in City's intensity.

The way they relentlessly chased surprise pacesetters Arsenal last season to eventually win the title by five points will serve as a stark warning to any club with ambitions to knock City off their perch.

Influential captain Ilkay Gundogan has left for Barcelona while fringe winger Riyad Mahrez has joined the exodus to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia with only Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic arriving.

City are likely to make at least one signing before the transfer window closes, although in reality the squad at Guardiola's disposal is so well-balanced that only very light tweaking will be required to keep them out in front.

However, such is the nature of the Premier League that City will certainly not have everything their own way.

Arsenal were top for 248 days last season only to falter under