Record-breaking, unprecedented feats have become par for the course at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Whether it’s the 100-point Premier League-winning campaign of 2017/18, the English domestic treble of 2018/19 or last season’s run of 21 consecutive victories across all competitions, City are masters when it comes to ripping up the record books and penning a new entry.
However, one of the club's 21st-century best marks is under threat from this weekend's FA Cup opponents
Spearheaded by the inimitable and prolific Aleksandar Mitrovic and turbocharged by an incredible run of 7-0, 6-2 and 6-2 wins over Reading, Bristol City and Birmingham City respectively last month, Championship table-toppers Fulham have 74 goals in 28 league games.
To put that in context, second-placed Blackburn Rovers have the second-most goals in the division this term with 45, having played a game more than the Cottagers.
It means Fulham have three figures firmly in their sights. The only other team to go ton-up in the second tier this century are Manchester City, back in 2001/02.
It is a season that is still remembered with particular fondness by City fans, where new manager Kevin Keegan relocated some of his old 1990s Newcastle United magic to unleash a thrilling, swashbuckling team that stormed to promotion.
City and Keegan found one another at the perfect time. ‘King Kev’ took on his first managerial role since his England tenure limped to a sorry and soggy end with defeat to Germany in the final match at the old Wembley.
The Blues were in the midst of a rollercoaster period, having plunged into Division Two in 1998. Joe Royle inspired back-to-back promotions but those exploits caught up with an overmatched City, who were relegated on their first season back in the big time in 2001.
Royle was duly sacked and Keegan’s arrival was in line with bigger new horizons for a club preparing to move to what was then known as the City of Manchester Stadium once it was converted for football after the 2002 Commonwealth games.
That meant just two more seasons at a mismatched but beloved Maine Road and the famous old ground was given its last signature team after a decade of often abysmal fayre.
City got off and running with a 3-0 Saturday-evening win over Watford on the opening weekend but a 2-0 loss at Norwich in their next game hinted at the early season inconsistency that would dog Keegan’s team.
West Brom and Wimbledon each claimed 4-0 wins over the promotion favourites and Keegan decided the best answer to a leaky defence was with an all-out attack.
After an autumn dalliance with an imbalanced 4-4-2, he settled on a bold 3-5-2 template that would rip up Division One on December 1, 2001.
A 2-0 win at Grimsby Town looks fairly nondescript on paper but it was the first time Keegan fielded Danny Tiatto and the emerging Shaun Wright-Phillips as his wing-backs, with goalscoring midfielder Kevin Horlock anchoring a dreamy midfield that combined the duel playmaking talents of Ali Benarbia and Eyal Berkovic.
Guardiola was told he could forget about pairing David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne as twin number eights in England, but Keegan did his bit to settle that issue with the brilliant Benarbia and Berkovic in tandem 15 years earlier.
The strikers lapped up the sumptuous service. Cult hero Shaun Goater enjoyed his most prolific season in blue with 32 across all competitions, while the livewire Darren Huckerby hit 26.
Paulo Wanchope made light of an injury-ravaged campaign with 12 in 14 league starts, including a stunning New Year’s Day hat-trick as Burnley were swatted aside 5-1 in a top-of-the-table clash.
That prompted a run of seven wins in a row across all competitions, including stirring triumphs when reduced to 10 men early on in home matches with Norwich City and Milwall, while Premier League Ipswich Town were thumped 4-1 at Portman Road in the FA Cup, with a national television audience enjoying a Berkovic screamer.
There was no catching Keegan’s rampant side and they sealed the title with a Huckerby hat-trick and a Benarbia masterclass in a 5-1 thrashing of Barnsley.
A 3-1 final-day win against Portsmouth saw City finish on 108 goals. It would have been 109 but for a wayward penalty from Stuart Pearce on his farewell professional appearance.
When top of the Premier League faces top of the Championship on Saturday, much will be made of Marco Silva’s side doing all they can to emulate Guardiola’s brilliant ensemble. But it is the adored City team of 20 years ago with whom they have far more in common.
What are your favourite memories of the 2001/02 season? Follow City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
