Manchester City have turned the Etihad into a fortress. It has always been a place teams feared to travel to, but so far this year visiting teams have had no luck against the treble winners.
City’s 2-nil win over Nottingham Forest made it 20 consecutive wins at the Etihad in all competitions. The winning run stretches back to a 1-all draw with Everton on New Year’s Eve last year.
Along the way, Manchester City have vanquished some of football’s finest. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Arsenal (twice) have become a number in the treble winners win streak at home. All have fallen victim to Pep Guardiola’s side’s dominance at the Etihad. The victories over Real Madrid (4-nil), Bayern Munich (3-nil), Liverpool (4-1) and Arsenal (4-1) are all particularly memorable wins for City fans.
The European champions are also unbeaten in 27 homes in the UEFA Champions League. The run compromises of 25 wins and 2 draws during that period. Their strong home form in the Champions League has seen the treble winners make the final, semi-final and win the competition in the past three seasons. The last time City failed to win at the Etihad in the Champions League was a home loss to Lyon in the group opener of the 2018/19 Champions League.
The Premier League champion’s strong home form has continued to begin this season. So far this season Nottingham Forest, Red Star Belgrade, Fulham and Newcastle have been added to the streak.
Backed by an at-times ferocious home crowd Manchester City have swept all before them at the Etihad. They have made playing them at home arguably the hardest task in football.