Nineteen teams tried to prevent Manchester City winning a Premier League game last season. Only six managed it.
In 2017-18, City earned more English top-flight points than any other team in history and registered more wins and scored more goals than any other Premier League side.
They also recorded the most consecutive wins, attempted and completed the most passes in a game and spent the least amount of time behind in matches - a remarkably brief 153 minutes over the whole campaign. That is just 4.5% of their season.
In preparation for the 2018-19 season, the champions have splashed out a club record £60m to sign 2015-16 Premier League player of the year Riyad Mahrez and have been linked with a host of other high-priced global superstars.The rest of the league may as well pack up and go home now, right? Well, maybe not.
Analysing information from the times City failed to win last season identifies some potential chinks in an otherwise formidable armour, ones this season's 19 opponents may be able to exploit.
PLAY THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME
City's possession-based, high-tempo, high-pressing style is easy to admire, but not to replicate. But with the right players, employed in the right way, it can bring success, as Liverpool demonstrated by inflicting a first league defeat on Pep Guardiola's side in January.
What Liverpool exposed is a fragility that leaves them open to further blows once the first has been landed.
PARK THE BUS
This was the road most travelled by sides last season, aware of their inferiority to City and seeking a lower risk and reward.
As a result of how good City are and other teams' willingness to let them be, Guardiola's side dominated possession against the majority of opponents, averaging 71.94% over the league season.
But a small number of teams provided a threat at the other end to provide respite from City's attacks: Burnley and Crystal Palace being the clearest examples.
STOP THE SUPPLY LINE
Denying the likes of Kevin De Bruyne space in areas outside the box and tracking the runs of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane in it are key to trying to stop City carving open the defence.
Liverpool managed this superbly on January 14, benefiting from the absence of David Silva but also denying De Bruyne his usual level of involvement in the game.Related Article: EPL FixturesGo aerial or hit on the break: City conceded just 27 goals in the league last season - hardly a huge sample size on which to draw. Of those, 10 came from chipped balls or crosses into the box, suggesting an aerial weakness, occasional lapses in concentration, or both.
Equally, City's eagerness to press and get men forward can leave them vulnerable to counterattacks...