Manchester City is the current strongest team, continuously setting new records in the English stage.
This season, they have once again won the league, achieving an unprecedented record of four consecutive Premier League titles.
Though they left a bit of a sour taste by losing in the FA Cup final, no one can say that Manchester City had a bad season.
The summer brought quite a few changes for Manchester City.
Aymeric Laporte, who couldn't secure a starting position due to frequent injuries despite his undeniable skills, and Riyad Mahrez, a former EPL Player of the Year who is now older, were transferred to Saudi Arabia.
Legendary player Ilkay Gündogan and João Cancelo, who had been a source of internal friction throughout last season, were sent to Barcelona on a free transfer and loan, respectively.
Promising youngster Cole Palmer, who couldn't secure enough playing time due to the solid starting lineup, was sent to Chelsea.
Thus, it was a transfer market where quite a few players left.
As always, their signings were concise but impactful.
They signed Joško Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for the second-highest transfer fee for a defender.
To fill Sterling's void, they brought in dribbler Jérémy Doku, who showcased his flashy dribbling in the French league, and from Chelsea, they signed Mateo Kovačić, who had won the Champions League four times with Real Madrid.
There was also Matheus Nunes from Wolves, who garnered attention at the time of his transfer but seemed questionable in hindsight.
Last season, City had their best year, achieving their first-ever Champions League win and completing the second treble in English history.
In contrast, this season started a bit shakily.
Since City had won both the FA Cup and the league last season, the Community Shield match to start the season was against the previous season's runners-up, Arsenal.
City lost.
Though it was decided by a penalty shootout, starting the season with a loss wasn't ideal for City.
Then came the Super Cup match.
This time, they won in a penalty shootout against Sevilla, who had once again claimed the Europa League throne.
This left City feeling unsettled.
Recording two consecutive draws, one ending in a loss, was not befitting of the previous season's treble winners.
Concerns became reality.
After losing to Newcastle in the League Cup and suffering league defeats to Wolves and Arsenal, City had a period from November to early December that they would rather forget, experiencing consecutive matches without a win, something rarely seen from City in recent years.
I believe the primary cause is the increased number of goals conceded.
Rúben Dias, a core of the defensive line, did not exhibit the overwhelmingly dominant performance he had last season.
Injuries and inconsistent form played a part.
Another factor is the presence or absence of Rodri.
Most football fans and experts would pick Rodri as the most influential player in Manchester City.
He is crucial to Pep Guardiola's philosophy of building from the back and serves as the first line of defense for City, who push their defensive line high with few defenders.
He needs to make lateral passes to break down deep-lying opponents and, when necessary, deliver key passes or score from distance in tight situations.
That's Rodri.
As many know, Rodri has exerted enormous influence at City, going unbeaten in 74 consecutive official matches he played.
However, being human, Rodri cannot play full-time in every match.
In games where he was not in the starting lineup, City showed instability, recording draws or losses.
Another issue was Haaland.
It's not that Haaland himself was a problem, but it seemed that opposing teams figured out how to contain him.
Football is a strategic battle, and no matter how strong City and Haaland were last season, opponents do not remain idle.
Teams, especially those in the upper middle ranks or higher, found ways to isolate Haaland and reduce his scoring opportunities, which resulted in a noticeable decrease in his league goal tally compared to last year.
Saying that a player who has won the league's top scorer title for two consecutive seasons has decreased scoring power may seem contradictory, but his scoring record this season offers some understanding.
In the Community Shield against Arsenal, the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, the Premier League matches against Arsenal and Aston Villa, the Champions League match against Real Madrid, and the FA Cup final against Manchester United, Haaland recorded no attacking points in these so-called "big matches" where City drew or lost.
It is naturally problematic when a striker responsible for the team's goals remains silent in crucial moments.
Nevertheless, City remained City.
When one falters, another steps up as a hero.
While Haaland stumbled, this season's top ace for City, aside from Rodri, would be Phil Foden.
Foden showcased the form of a nearly complete wing forward this season, scoring 19 goals and providing 8 assists in the league alone.
A player in an attacking role maintaining a pass success rate of 90% and recording over 2 key passes per game is impressive.
Foden didn't just stay on the flanks but moved centrally, freely switching with De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva and even taking on the mezzala role to carry the ball forward.
Considering this young player is a product of City's youth academy, he is a treasure for the club and its fans.
Though City wavered somewhat in the early to mid-season,
they remained unbeaten in official matches in 2024 up to the FA Cup final, thanks to the performances of players like Foden and Rodri.
Despite being eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals (decided by a penalty shootout, thus officially a draw),
they secured another league title by surpassing Arsenal, who encountered turbulence in the latter half, by 2 points in the fiercely contested Premier League.
It was a moment of achieving a fourth consecutive league title, something even Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, the king of the Premier League era, had not accomplished.
This season revealed both the formidable strength and the weaknesses of England's strongest team.
It is already exciting to see how Pep Guardiola will address these weaknesses and lead Manchester City back to the pinnacle next season.
