Manchester City became the first top-flight club in English football to record 15 consecutive victories in all competitions after beating second-division Swansea 3-1 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus scored the goals in South Wales, on what was another memorable night for Pep Guardiola’s team.
In a seven-and-a-half-week winning streak spanning Premier League matches and both domestic cups, City have broken the record for successive victories by an English Premier League club, something that was previously shared by Preston. (from 1892) and Arsenal (from 1987).
“It has great significance for this difficult stretch of the season, during Christmas and winter,” Guardiola said. “To have achieved it at this point is really remarkable.”
City linked 20 games in a row without losing in all competitions between August and December 2017, also under Guardiola’s direction. But one of those victories was a penalty shootout for the League Cup after a 0-0 draw after extra time.
With City leading the Premier League with a five-point lead – and one game pending – and qualifying for the League Cup final against Tottenham in April, Guardiola has yet another domestic treble. The Catalan coach scored his 200th win in 268 games since taking over the club.
City became the first English club to complete that hat-trick in the 2018-19 season, beating Swansea on their way to winning the FA Cup that year by coming back from 2-0 to win 3-2 in the quarter-finals.
He did not have to suffer on Wednesday, opening the account at 30 minutes when Walker’s low center to the small area could not be spliced by Ferran Torres, when he slipped near the far post, and the ball still nestled in the back of the net .
Rodri enabled Sterling to make it 2-0 in the 47th and, three minutes later, Brazilian Jesus tamed an aerial ball served by Bernardo Silva to finish with a left foot.
Morgan Whittaker scored the consolation goal for Swansea, third in the second division tournament.
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