Haaland signed a championship bid as Man City secured another Premier League title

Manchester City planted the seeds for their latest title success before they had even reached their 2022 triumph.

In May last year, after the team fought hard on the pitch to hold off Liverpool’s challenge, the top man then struck a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign Erling Haaland.

It was a bold statement from a club used to making bold statements.

The prolific Norwegian striker joined them in the summer and the already formidable squad became a seemingly unstoppable force.

Obviously, it wasn’t quite that straightforward, but after City’s strong spring surge as they rolled in and then flew past Arsenal without the slightest sense of pressure, few could argue that they are now one of the best teams to grace the Premier League.

Haaland has been at the heart of it, scoring an almost unbelievable and record-breaking 36 league goals so far.

He didn’t just surpass the greats of the past, he left them behind.

He surpassed Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s previous record of 34 in 42 games in the mid-1990s by five appearances.

He helped himself to four hat-tricks and formed a powerful combination with the team’s main playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.

Rarely has a player had as big an impact as Haaland, and given the way City have adapted and developed around him as the season has progressed, there would seem to be more to come.

While Haaland may have been a huge factor in City’s fifth title in six seasons, it would be unfair to give him all the credit.

De Bruyne has enjoyed another hugely influential campaign, with 16 assists and seven goals himself. Jack Grealish, now looking much more comfortable with the 100 million mark, has also been a driving force, while Rodri has developed into one of the game’s strongest midfielders and John Stones has excelled in a hybrid defense/midfield role.

Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Nathan Ake have also made big contributions at different times.

However, the key has once again been the person in charge, Pep Guardiola. The inspirational Catalan has produced another masterclass in management that has highlighted his command of the game and cemented his place among the greats.

After two consecutive title wins with a false nine or makeshift centre-forwards, Haalands arrival showed that the former Barcelona boss had changed.

At first there were doubts and fears that Haaland’s presence might disrupt the natural flow of the city. Indeed, early on it seemed his ambitions were masked by some disjointed and indifferent performances.

The formation either side of the World Cup break was disjointed and underpowered, allowing Arsenal to dominate the contest early on.

Yet Guardiola worked through the inconsistencies and solved the problems with excellent leadership, tactical fortitude and a ferocious winning mentality. There was some well-timed criticism, surprise selection calls and eyebrow-raising departures from Raheem Sterling, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo, all of which have been proven as City came good when it really mattered.

Arsenal are clearly letting a strong position slip away, but in an interrupted season where City had more players at the World Cup than any other club, Guardiola stepped up to the challenge perfectly. The fact that the intensity has been maintained while competing in two other races makes it even more remarkable.

City still need to win two finals to complete the treble, but Premier League success alone is a phenomenal achievement.