Manchester City’s 16th successive win on Saturday evening saw them extend their record-breaking run of consecutive victories for an English top-flight side across all competitions.
Extending their streak with a 3-0 home win against Tottenham in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s men pushed into uncharted territory having already surpassed the 14-game winning streaks of Preston in 1891-92 and Arsenal in 1987.
Here, the PA news agency looks back over the run, and the ones it has bettered.
City’s winning run
City have enjoyed a 100 per cent record since beating Southampton just before Christmas. Here are the games they have won.
Southampton 0 Manchester City 1, Premier League, December 19, 2020
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
⚽️ 18' @IlkayGuendogan ⚽️ 21' @PhilFoden ⚽️ 34' @DeBruyneKev 🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/h6UxzsdIBJ — Manchester City (@ManCity) 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
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
A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ performance! 🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/5CERmSbx4D — Manchester City (@ManCity) January 26, 2021
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
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.
Swansea 1 Manchester City 3, FA Cup, February 10
Kyle Walker gave City the lead in the first half and Sterling and Jesus added efforts shortly after the break before Morgan Whittaker replied for the hosts.
Manchester City 3 Tottenham 0, Premier League, February 13
Make that 1️⃣6️⃣ 🙌 🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/VxK8LFuktI — Manchester City (@ManCity) February 13, 2021
Rodri’s first-half penalty put City on their way to successive win number 16, with regular spot-kick taker Gundogan notching twice from open play after the break.
The previous 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
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
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.
