"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2017-12-15T09:31:43Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2017/12/14/marcel-desailly-robert-pires-manchester-city-invincibles-chelsea-arsenal-intv.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="marcel desailly robert pires manchester city invincibles chelsea arsenal intv"
data-first-publish-slug="marcel desailly robert pires manchester city invincibles chelsea arsenal intv"
data-video-tags="football (soccer),manchester city fc,marcel desailly,pep guardiola,premier league,sports and recreation,sports figures,sports organizations and teams,arsenal fc,chelsea fc,robert pires,arsene wenger"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2017-12-15T09:31:43Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2017/12/14/marcel-desailly-robert-pires-manchester-city-invincibles-chelsea-arsenal-intv.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="marcel desailly robert pires manchester city invincibles chelsea arsenal intv"
data-first-publish-slug="marcel desailly robert pires manchester city invincibles chelsea arsenal intv"
data-video-tags="football (soccer),manchester city fc,marcel desailly,pep guardiola,premier league,sports and recreation,sports figures,sports organizations and teams,arsenal fc,chelsea fc,robert pires,arsene wenger"
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-04-25T22:38:03Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/04/25/exp-bex-smith-intv-0425p.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="exp Bex Smith INTV 0425P"
data-first-publish-slug="exp Bex Smith INTV 0425P"
data-video-tags="2022 fifa world cup,brand safety-nsf health issues,brand safety-nsf sensitive,demographic groups,diseases and disorders,domestic alerts,domestic-health and science,experimentation and research,females (demographic group),fifa,fifa world cup,football (soccer),health and medical,iab-bone and joint conditions,iab-diseases and conditions,iab-injuries,iab-medical health,iab-science,iab-soccer,iab-sports,international alerts,international-health and science,knee disorders and injuries,labor and employment,musculoskeletal disorders and injuries,population and demographics,science,soccer events,society,sports and recreation,sports events,sports organizations and teams,women workers and professionals,workers and professionals,wounds and injuries"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Why have there been so many knee injuries to top women footballers?
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-03-11T09:46:31Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/03/09/womens-world-cup-equal-pay-treatment-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="womens world cup equal pay treatment spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="womens world cup equal pay treatment spt intl"
data-video-tags="australia,brand safety-nsf discrimination,brand safety-nsf sensitive,compensation and benefits,continents and regions,demographic groups,discrimination,domestic alerts,domestic-international news,employment discrimination,females (demographic group),fifa,fifa women's world cup,football (soccer),gender pay gap,iab-soccer,iab-sports,labor and employment,new zealand,oceania,pay gap,population and demographics,sex and gender,sex discrimination,soccer events,societal issues,society,sports and recreation,sports events,sports organizations and teams,unrest, conflicts and war,wages and salaries"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Women's soccer: Where it's at, where it's been and where will it go from here?
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-03-10T11:00:17Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/03/10/brentford-moneyball-premier-league-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="brentford moneyball premier league spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="brentford moneyball premier league spt intl"
data-video-tags="business, economy and trade,company activities and management,continents and regions,domestic alerts,domestic-business,domestic-international news,england,europe,humanities and social sciences,iab-business,iab-business and finance,iab-business operations,international alerts,international-business,london,northern europe,philosophy,product development,product innovation,product management,united kingdom"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Brentford's 'moneyball' philosophy bests teams with bigger budgets
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-03-06T08:31:44Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/03/02/penalty-kicks-emiliano-martinez-argentina-world-cup-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="penalty kicks emiliano martinez argentina world cup spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="penalty kicks emiliano martinez argentina world cup spt intl"
data-video-tags="2022 fifa world cup,argentina,continents and regions,europe,fifa,fifa world cup,football (soccer),france,iab-soccer,iab-sports,latin america,soccer events,south america,sports and recreation,sports events,sports organizations and teams,the americas,western europe"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Emiliano Martínez: The art of winning a penalty shootout
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-02-15T09:19:20Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/02/14/sebastien-haller-borussia-dortmund-cancer-recovery-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="sebastien haller borussia dortmund cancer recovery spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="sebastien haller borussia dortmund cancer recovery spt intl"
data-video-tags="borussia dortmund,brand safety-nsf health issues,brand safety-nsf sensitive,bundesliga,cancer,chemotherapy and radiation treatments,continents and regions,diseases and disorders,domestic alerts,domestic-health and science,domestic-international news,europe,football (soccer),germany,health and health care (by demographic group),health and medical,iab-cancer,iab-diseases and conditions,iab-healthy living,iab-medical health,iab-men's health,iab-soccer,iab-sports,international alerts,international-health and science,medical fields and specialties,medical treatments and procedures,men's health,oncology,soccer events,sports and recreation,sports events,sports organizations and teams,testicular cancer,uefa champions league,urogenital disorders and injuries,western europe"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Sébastien Haller: Borussia Dortmund star reflects on fairytale comeback from testicular cancer diagnosis
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-02-23T16:04:39Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/02/23/xherdan-shaqiri-chicago-fire-switzerland-football-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="xherdan shaqiri chicago fire switzerland football spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="xherdan shaqiri chicago fire switzerland football spt intl"
data-video-tags="2022 fifa world cup,bundesliga,chicago fire,cnn,companies,continents and regions,england,europe,fc bayern munich,fifa,fifa world cup,football (soccer),germany,iab-soccer,iab-sports,liverpool,mls,mls eastern conference,northern europe,soccer events,sports and recreation,sports events,sports figures,sports organizations and teams,switzerland,uefa champions league,united kingdom,warnermedia,western europe,xherdan shaqiri"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Xherdan Shaqiri talks to CNN about the Chicago Fire and Switzerland
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-27T15:48:48Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/01/27/rob-mcelhenney-wrexham-fa-cup-football-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="rob mcelhenney wrexham fa cup football spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="rob mcelhenney wrexham fa cup football spt intl"
data-video-tags="american football conference,fa cup,football (soccer),iab-soccer,iab-sports,nfl,soccer events,sports and recreation,sports events,sports organizations and teams"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Wrexham AFC owner Rob McElhenney on team's FA Cup run
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-19T13:55:25Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2023/01/19/manchester-united-davos-shop-front-spt-intl.cnn"
data-branding-key="football"
data-video-slug="manchester united davos shop front spt intl"
data-first-publish-slug="manchester united davos shop front spt intl"
data-video-tags="alps,business, economy and trade,conferences and conventions,domestic alerts,domestic-business,economy and economic indicators,football (soccer),iab-business and finance,iab-business expos & conferences,iab-economy,iab-events,iab-soccer,iab-sports,international alerts,international-business,leisure and lifestyle,luxurious living,manchester united fc,mountains (by name),physical locations,premier league,sports and recreation,sports organizations and teams,world economic forum"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Manchester United sets up shop at Davos with luxury lounge in Swiss Alps
Manchester City on course to break Arsenal's unbeaten record
Robert Pires, star of that Gunners team, tells CNN: "We had more quality"
"Pires is better than Kevin De Bruyne," jokes the Frenchman
CNN
—
They’ve just surpassed a record that has stood since 1905, winning 15 consecutive matches in the English top flight.
Their points total at this stage of a season (49) is the highest in the history of the division.
But, for all the plaudits, Pep Guardiola’s men cannot yet be called Invincible. In the Premier League, that’s an accolade that can only be applied to Arsene Wenger’s unbeaten Arsenal team in the 2003/04 season.
All-time longest winning runs in England's top-four tiers
15 - Manchester City (2017/18) Ongoing
14 - Arsenal (2001/02)
14 - Preston North End (1950/51)
14 - Bristol City (1905/06)
14 - Manchester United (1904/05)
And Robert Pires, star of that Gunners vintage, is confident his side would get the better of Manchester City, were the two to meet.
“I think my team had more quality,” Pires tells CNN Sport, sitting alongside compatriot and fellow World Cup winner Marcel Desailly.
“Yeah, especially if you play at Highbury!” quips former Chelsea defender Desailly. “Small stadium and small pitch.”
Wenger was bullish ahead of that historic season 14 years ago, saying before a ball had been kicked: “It wouldn’t surprise me if we were to go unbeaten for the whole of the season.”
Guardiola, by contrast, was quick to dismiss the building hype ahead of City’s clash with Arsenal in November, saying “Arsene’s record belongs to him.”
“We are not going to break it,” Guardiola insisted. “It was an exceptional team, something fantastic. We don’t want to break this record, only to play well and beat them on Sunday.”
Even after a 3-1 City victory, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne expressed doubt the feat could be replicated in an age of financial primacy, telling Sky: “The power of the Premier League means every team has a lot of money and every team has a lot of quality players, so I think one day or another you will face a team who find a system to beat you, or they have a better day.”
But the Citizens have gone on winning, notably getting the better of their closest rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 2-1 win on Sunday.
Everton were the only team to take a point off City in domestic competition this season back in August, and even then defender Kyle Walker was sent off in the first half. Guardiola’s men haven’t so much as dropped a Premier League point this season with 11 men on the pitch.
City’s points total after just 15 games (46) would have been enough to guarantee eighth position in last season’s Premier League.
Their present goal difference (+41) is considerably higher than any other team’s total of goals scored this campaign.
Getty Images
And yet Pires wouldn’t trade his old teammates for the world.
“Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry had more quality than Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus,” smiles the Frenchman, who appeared in 40 of Arsenal’s unbeaten 49 games, finding the back of the net 23 times.
“Patrick Vieira is better than Fernandinho. Pires is better than … De Bruyne!” the former winger adds jokingly, high-fiving Desailly. “And that’s why Arsenal are better than Man City.”
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2017-12-08T11:27:23Z"
data-video-section="sport"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2017/12/08/manchester-derby-history-man-utd-city-copa90-pkg.copa90"
data-branding-key="copa90"
data-video-slug="manchester derby history man utd city copa90 pkg"
data-first-publish-slug="manchester derby history man utd city copa90 pkg"
data-video-tags="england,europe,manchester,northern europe,united kingdom,sports figures,sir alex ferguson,sports organizations and teams,premier league,manchester city fc,manchester united fc,sports and recreation,football (soccer)"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
COPA90: The Manchester Derby
02:33
- Source:
COPA90
Bright future
Whether or not City go undefeated this season, the future looks bright at the Etihad.
The longest winning streak in Spain’s La Liga (16) was set in 2010/11 by Barcelona. In Germany’s Bundesliga, Bayern Munich won 19 successive matches during the 2013/14 campaign. City could match that mark – the all-time record in Europe’s top-five leagues – with four more victories.
And all three teams were managed by the same man – Guardiola.
Worryingly for City’s rivals, both home and abroad, over 60% of their Premier Leagues goals and assists in 2017/18 have come from players under the age of 23.
Don’t bet against them being even better next season …
