LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Manchester City retained their Premier League crown on Sunday, pipping Liverpool to the title by a single point, but while the remarkable numbers of this campaign tell their own story this season was about much more than just consistent point accumulation.
Pep Guardiola's City and Juergen Klopp's Liverpool achieved their results playing brands of entertaining, attacking and positive football that have set a new standard in the English -- and indeed European -- game.
And not even the intense pressure and nerves of a neck-and-neck title race could push them towards error. Klopp and Guardiola have avoided barbs or mind-games throughout the season and have barely needed prompting to praise each other's teams.The sense that both teams deserve huge plaudits for their football this season has also been clear from the views of expert observers, such as former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness.
What is fascinating is that those year-long debates over numerical formations - whether it be 4-4-2, five at the back, diamonds, Christmas trees and 'false nines' - have been noticeably absent this season.Liverpool nominally play four at the back but their full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are essential parts of their attacking threat.
But Bernardo Silva at times also played as a midfield general, alongside or instead of David Silva, and at full-strength City's midfield is very much part of their attack, with only Brazilian Fernandinho having a clear defensive role. But both approaches are hugely entertaining to watch and allow the technical quality of their players to shine -- they are above all two teams who enforce their will on their opponents, with styles which depend on self-knowledge and a confidence in their own superiority.
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