Pep Guardiola scored 500 games in charge of Manchester City in all competitions on Sunday.
City marked the occasion with a much-needed win, with Savinho and Erling Haaland on target in the battle for a 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
It was only their second win in fourteen matches in all competitions, although wins have not typically been difficult to come by during Guardiola's tenure.
Guardiola is only the second City manager to oversee 500 games in all competitions, while he is the first Premier League boss to reach that number for one club since David Moyes did so when he joined Everton in January 2013.
500 – Pep Guardiola today becomes the first manager to manage a Premier League club 500 times in all competitions since David Moyes reached that number for Everton in January 2013. A milestone. pic.twitter.com/KdjZ23YqKa
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 29, 2024
Here we discuss the key facts from Guardiola's glittering tenure at City.
A winning machine
Six Premier League titles, including the last five in a row, two FA Cups, four EFL Cup wins and the Champions League are among the trophies Guardiola has won in his eight-and-a-half years at City.
He has won 355 games for City (71%), not including penalty wins. That is the best win ratio of any club manager ever (since 1990).
Since Opta started recording such data, Guardiola has scored 309 more games than any other City boss (Roberto Mancini is second, with 191). Only Les McDowall (592 games between 1950 and 1963) has taken charge of the club more often.
Since Guardiola took charge of City ahead of the 2016/2017 season, they have won more games than any other top five European leagues in all competitions, with Paris Saint-Germain next best with 319.
Guardiola's City are also the best-scoring team from Europe's top five leagues in all competitions since the start of the 2016/2017 season (1,213 goals).
The rivals
Guardiola has most often faced Chelsea and Manchester United during his time at the Etihad, overseeing 14 games against both sides.
He has beaten Chelsea 14 times but memorably lost the 2021 Champions League final to the Blues. Guardiola has now recorded 12 Manchester Derby victories, although he also suffered a grand final defeat to the Red Devils in last season's FA Cup final at Wembley.
His favorite opponent since arriving in England has been Burnley. In 18 meetings with the Clarets, Guardiola has recorded 17 wins, including one draw. His City team scored 58 goals against Burnley, which is more than against any other team.
Of the teams Guardiola has faced at least three times in all competitions, he now has 100% win records against Bristol City, Cardiff City, Luton Town (all 3/3) Swansea City, Sheffield United (both 7/7), Fulham and Watford (both 12/12).
He has suffered the most defeats against United, Tottenham and – unsurprisingly – eternal title rivals Liverpool (all nine).
Manager Guardiola has most often dealt with City is Reds icon Jurgen Klopp. He has won just six of those encounters and lost eight.
Sean Dyche is the manager with the second most appearances against Guardiola during his tenure at City. However, Guardiola has never lost to Dyche: he won seventeen games and drew two.
Guardiola has defeated current Fulham boss Marco Silva on each of the 12 times they have gone head-to-head. Of the managers he has faced at least four times as City boss, Guardiola also has a 100% win ratio against Tony Pulis, Scott Parker, Sam Allardyce, Chris Wilder, Chris Hughton and Dean Smith.
We have… pic.twitter.com/EqI08O5qKX
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 29, 2024
Time for a freshen up?
Guardiola signed a contract extension in November, but there is certainly a sense that City need to start a new cycle, and fresh blood will likely be needed to ensure the squad continues.
City's most recent defeat – against Aston Villa on December 21 – was their ninth in all competitions this season.
Only in the 2019/20 (12) and 2016/17 (10) seasons has a Guardiola-led side lost more games in a season, and those were the only seasons in which his City team failed to win the Premier League title to bring in.
Prior to Sunday's visit to the King Power Stadium, City were winless in eight away games in all competitions, seven of which were lost.
Guardiola will desperately hope that these three points can serve as a turning point and at least give a boost to Champions League qualification in the new year.
Looking further ahead, a revamp may be necessary if Guardiola is to continue breaking records at the Citizens.
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