Pep Guardiola has taken Manchester City up a gear in the 2017-18 season and they are comfortably ahead of the chasing pack in the Premier League.
They established a formidable lead by going unbeaten in the competition for 22 games, winning 20, a run that was ended in dramatic fashion by Liverpool at Anfield with a 4-3 victory.
Challengers such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal have struggled to keep up and as things stand, the league is likely to be decided early.
But just how early? Goal takes a look at some of the possibilities...
When can Man City win the league?
After 31 games, a gulf of 16 points separates leaders Man City from second-placed Man United in the Premier League.
| Pos | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 31 | 27 | 3 | 1 | +67 | 84 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 31 | 21 | 5 | 5 | +37 | 68 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 | +40 | 66 |
| 4 | Tottenham | 31 | 19 | 7 | 5 | +36 | 64 |
*Correct as of April 1
City edged a step closer to capturing the crown by beating Everton 3-0 to keep a well-oiled machine ticking towards the title.
With just sevn games left and a commanding lead, all City need to do is win their next league match - a meeting with Man United at the Etihad Stadium on April 7 - in order to prevail. Victory will open a gap of 19 points between the teams with only 18 points left to play for.
Man City's remaining Premier League fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Kick-off (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7 | Manchester City vs Manchester United | Etihad Stadium | 17:30 |
| Apr 14 | Tottenham vs Manchester City | Wembley | 1945 |
| Apr 21 | Manchester City vs Swansea City | Etihad Stadium | 16:30 |
| Apr 29 | West Ham vs Manchester United | London Stadium | 14:15 |
| May 5 | Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town | Etihad Stadium | 15:00 |
| May 13 | Southampton vs Manchester City | St Mary's | 15:00 |
| TBC | Manchester City vs Brighton | Etihad Stadium | TBC |
*Dates and times subject to change.
Earliest Premier League title wins
Getty Images
Manchester United hold the record for the earlier Premier League title triumph, having won the 2000-01 edition with five games to spare.
The Red Devils were the first team to win the division with four games to go when they achieved it the season before in 1999-2000 and they repeated that feat in 2012-13 - Sir Alex Ferguson's final campaign in charge.
Arsene Wenger's Arsenal 'Invincibles' wrapped up their Premier League title win in 2003-04 with four games left to play too. Chelsea have twice won the league with three games to spare - in 2004-05 and 2014-15.
Interestingly, Guardiola is no stranger to record-breaking league wins as he was at the helm of Bayern Munich when they broke the Bundesliga record for earliest title win in 2013-14, when they clinched the trophy with seven games left.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
