A look at Man City’s record-equalling run and the other teams to win 14 in a row

Manchester City’s 14th consecutive win in all competitions saw them equal the all-time record for English top-flight clubs on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s side won 4-1 at Liverpool to match the achievement of Preston in 1891-92 and Arsenal in 1987.

Here, the PA news agency looks back over the run and the ones that came before it.

City’s winning run

City have enjoyed a 100 per cent record since beating Southampton just before Christmas and will have the chance to set a new record on Wednesday against Swansea. Here are the games they won.

Southampton 0 Manchester City 1, Premier League, December 19, 2020

Raheem Sterling, left, scores the only goal at Southampton
Raheem Sterling, left, scored the only goal at Southampton (Adrian Dennis/PA)

Following draws with Manchester United and West Brom, Raheem Sterling’s first-half goal got City back to winning ways.

Arsenal 1 Manchester City 4, Carabao Cup, December 22

Gabriel Jesus’ opener was cancelled out by Alexandre Lacazette but Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte scored in the second half.

Manchester City 2 Newcastle 0, Premier League, December 26

Goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres secured the points.

Chelsea 1 Manchester City 3, Premier League, January 3, 2021

Gundogan, Foden and Kevin De Bruyne made the game all-but safe by the 34th minute, before Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late consolation.

Manchester United 0 Manchester City 2, Carabao Cup, January 6

John Stones netted just after half-time and Fernandinho sealed victory late on.

Manchester City 3 Birmingham 0, FA Cup, January 10

Bernardo Silva scored twice in the opening 15 minutes, with Foden adding the third before half-time.

Manchester City 1 Brighton 0, Premier League, January 13

Foden’s goal just before the break extended the sequence.

Manchester City 4 Crystal Palace 0, Premier League, January 17

John Stones' header opens the scoring against Crystal Palace
John Stones’ header opened the scoring against Crystal Palace (Dave Thompson/PA)

Stones netted twice, with Gundogan and Sterling also on target.

Manchester City 2 Aston Villa 0, Premier League, January 20

City had to wait 79 minutes for Silva to open the scoring, with a late Gundogan penalty clinching victory.

Cheltenham 1 Manchester City 3, FA Cup, January 23

The League Two underdogs threatened an upset through Alfie May’s goal before Foden, Jesus and Torres scored in the last 10 minutes.

West Brom 0 Manchester City 5, Premier League, January 26

Gundogan’s run of form continued with two goals, with Joao Cancelo and Mahrez putting City four up at the break and Sterling adding the fifth.

Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0, Premier League, January 30

Jesus banged home the only goal in the ninth minute.

Burnley 0 Manchester City 2, Premier League, February 3

Jesus again struck early on and Sterling’s goal before half-time eased any fears of a comeback.

Liverpool 1 Manchester City 4, Premier League, February 7

Ilkay Gundogan, right, celebrates his second goal at Anfield
Ilkay Gundogan, right, celebrates his second goal at Anfield (Tim Keeton/PA)

Gundogan missed a penalty but atoned with two goals, sandwiching Mohamed Salah’s successful spot-kick for the Reds, before Alisson Becker’s second costly error allowed Sterling to make it 3-1 and Foden added a fourth.

The other record holders

Preston’s early dominance of English football saw them follow up their “Invincible” season of 1888-89 with their 14-game winning run three years later, which was not matched for over 95 years.

Preston, October 1891 to January 1892

Deepdale
Preston set the record in football’s early days (David Davies/PA)

North End kicked off their run with a 4-2 win over Lancashire rivals Blackburn on October 24, 1891 and scored four or more goals in six of the games, including a pair of sixes.

Everton, Stoke, Blackburn again, West Brom twice, Bolton, Derby, Notts County, Stoke, Darwen and Accrington YA were their other Division One victims before FA Cup wins over the short-lived Middlesbrough Ironopolis and the more recognisable Middlesbrough team who play in the Championship today. Nottingham Forest ended the run in a 2-0 third-round reverse.

Preston scored 45 goals and conceded only 10 in the 14 games, with seven clean sheets, but went on to finish second in the league, five points behind Sunderland.

Arsenal, September to November 1987

Alan Smith, centre left, scores Arsenal’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth in October 1987
Alan Smith, centre left, scores Arsenal’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth in October 1987 (PA)

Seven successive clean sheets kick-started the Gunners’ run, with 32 goals ultimately scored and only five conceded.

Forest, Doncaster twice, Wimbledon, West Ham, Charlton and Oxford were all shut out, before rivals Tottenham became the first team to score against Arsenal in the sequence but were still beaten 2-1.

Bournemouth, Derby, Newcastle, Chelsea, Stoke and Norwich were also dispatched before a 1-0 loss to Southampton ended the run.

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