While several critics have pointed to Manchester City’s financial muscle as the primary reason behind their rousing success since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, this assessment is nothing less than short-sighted.
Ultimately, what has separated the five-time Premier League champions from the rest is a plan of action from day one - which has led to the club righty earning their status as one of the best-run footballing institutions in the world for over a decade.
Ahead of the 187th Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola highlighted how City’s ascent over the years has not simply come down to being cash-rich.
“A lot of teams are powerful in the Premier League - not just Manchester City - have money. I want to play in this way and you try to buy players to adapt the way you want to play," the Manchester City boss said in an interview with Simon Mullock of The Mirror this week.
"At Manchester City, before I arrived, this was the idea - and that’s why we are there. We compete with giants and we cannot win- but we are always there."
The Spanish tactician has hit the nail on the head with his assessment as his City have not been the only side in the English top-flight that have invested heavily in the transfer market year on year.
Ultimately, the Premier League leaders have been smart in supplementing Guardiola’s defined brand of football with the players who fit his system to a bill - Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo to name a few - which has led to their unstoppable upsurge.
On the other hand, City's upcoming opponents and local rivals Manchester United are a perfect example of how money doesn’t equal success, as they have outspent every side in the division since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure - with little to show for it in terms of silverware.
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