Pep Guardiola’s Premier League Title Winning Teams: The Evolution of a Dynasty

May 20, 2026 • Aguero • David Silva • De Bruyne • football team • Haaland • line up • man city • Pep Guardiola • premier league • xi

Since arriving at Manchester City in 2016, Pep Guardiola has transformed English football.

Records have been broken.
Tactics have evolved.
And season after season, Manchester City have set new standards in the Premier League.

From the explosive “Centurions” of 2017–18 to the treble winning core that dominated English football in recent years, Guardiola’s title winning sides have each had their own identity.

This blog looks back at the main starting XIs behind all six of Pep Guardiola’s Premier League triumphs.

2017–18: The Centurions

Premier League Champions – 100 Points

This was the team that changed everything.

City became the first side in Premier League history to reach 100 points, playing breathtaking attacking football built around speed, movement, and relentless pressing.

At the heart of it all was Kevin De Bruyne, orchestrating attacks alongside the elegance of David Silva.

Meanwhile, Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané tore defences apart.

This was Guardiola’s football fully realised in England for the first time.

Manchester City 2017–18 lineup graphic featuring Guardiola’s Centurions team with Ederson, Kompany, De Bruyne, David Silva, Sterling and Sergio Agüero.

2018–19: Winning the Tightest Title Race

Premier League Champions – 98 Points

If 2017–18 was about dominance, 2018–19 was about resilience.

Pushed all the way by Liverpool, City won 14 straight league matches to secure the title by a single point.

Every game felt like a final.

Players like Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte became crucial pieces in one of the most intense title races English football has ever seen.

Manchester City 2018–19 lineup graphic featuring Guardiola’s Premier League winning side including Ederson, Laporte, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Agüero and Kevin De Bruyne.

2020–21: Control Through Chaos

Premier League Champions – 86 Points

Following a difficult pandemic affected season, Guardiola rebuilt City once again.

Without relying on a traditional striker for much of the campaign, City controlled games through possession, tactical flexibility, and defensive dominance.

The partnership of Rúben Dias and John Stones transformed the defence, while İlkay Gündoğan delivered the best goalscoring season of his career.

This was one of Guardiola’s smartest tactical evolutions.

Manchester City 2020–21 lineup graphic featuring Rúben Dias, John Stones, İlkay Gündoğan, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.

2021–22: The Final Day Drama

Premier League Champions – 93 Points

One of the most dramatic title wins in Premier League history.

On the final day against Aston Villa, City trailed 2–0 before scoring three times in five unforgettable minutes to secure another league title.

The team was driven by leaders like De Bruyne, Cancelo, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva, while Guardiola’s positional football reached another level.

It was chaos, brilliance, and relief all at once.

Manchester City 2021–22 lineup graphic featuring Ederson, João Cancelo, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.

2022–23: The Treble Winners

Premier League Champions – 89 Points

This was the season City finally conquered everything.

With Erling Haaland leading the line, Guardiola adapted his system once again, blending control with devastating directness.

Haaland delivered one of the greatest debut seasons in Premier League history, scoring a record breaking 36 league goals, the most ever in a single Premier League campaign. His movement, power, and ruthless finishing gave City an entirely new dimension in attack.

Alongside him, Rodri, De Bruyne, and Stones became central to a new tactical setup that overwhelmed opponents both domestically and in Europe.

By the end of the season, City had completed the ultimate achievement:

Premier League winners
FA Cup winners
Champions League winners

Football history completed.

Manchester City 2022–23 lineup graphic featuring the treble winning side with Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, John Stones and Jack Grealish.

2023–24: Four Titles in a Row

Premier League Champions – 91 Points

No English side had ever won four consecutive top flight titles before Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Despite injuries and growing competition, City once again found consistency when it mattered most.

Phil Foden stepped into a starring role, Rodri controlled matches as always, and Guardiola adapted yet again to keep City ahead of the chasing pack.

Another title. Another record.

Manchester City 2023–24 lineup graphic featuring Guardiola’s four in a row Premier League winning team including Phil Foden, Rodri, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker.

More Than Just Winning

What separates Guardiola’s Manchester City teams is not just the trophies.

It is the evolution.

Each title winning side looked slightly different:

The chaos and speed of the Centurions
The mentality monsters of 2018–19
The tactical control of 2020–21
The treble machine of 2022–23

Yet the identity remained the same.

Control the ball. Control the game.

Final Thought

Few managers in football history have shaped a league the way Pep Guardiola has shaped the Premier League.

Six titles.
Multiple record breaking teams.
And a footballing legacy that will define an era.

The players changed.
The systems evolved.
But the winning never stopped.

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