Manchester City break five Premier League passing records in the comfortable win over Chelsea, inspired by Ilkay Gundogan
Five of the top ten most passes completed in a game in top-flight history now belong to Pep Guardiola's men this season
MANCHESTER CITY have been utterly imperious this season.
They barely needed to shift out of second-gear in the eagerly-anticipated clash with Chelsea either as they cruised to a simple 1-0 win.
The Blues looked content to sit back at the Etihad - as epitomised by their lazy-looking closing-down going viral on social media.
That was fine by Pep Guardiola and Co too, as they were happy to pass the ball around for 90 minutes and tighten their grip on the Premier League trophy.
City are now 18 points clear of second-placed Liverpool - and with just nine games to play, that could be that.
Guardiola's men finished the 90 minutes with an outrageous 71 per cent of possession... and they really made the most of that too.
During the clash with the reigning Premier League champions, City broke no fewer than FIVE Premier League records.
As well as shattering the team records for most passes made and most passes completed, Ilkay Gundogan broke THREE by himself.
GUNNED DOWN Manchester City having a better season than Arsenal's 2003-04 "Invincibles" in almost every category
The German star, 27, broke the individual records for passes made and completed, as well as having the most touches of any player in a single Premier League game, ever.
In the stroll in Eastlands, City attempted 975 passes - 46 more than the record they set earlier this season against West Brom (929).
Most Premier League touches ever
04/03/18 - Ilkay Gundogan, Man City vs Chelsea - 181
20/05/15 - Santi Cazorla, Arsenal vs Sunderland - 178
21/12/11 - Yaya Toure, ManCity vs Stoke - 175
22/11/14 - Cesc Fabregas - Chelsea vs West Brom - 174
30/01/18 - Joel Matip - Liverpool vs Huddersfield - 171
04/03/18 - Oleksandr Zinchenko, Man City vs Chelsea - 163
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Of those passes, City completed a phenomenal 902, 59 more than the record set in that same game against the Baggies (843).
Meanwhile, Gundogan had 181 touches in the game - three more than Santi Cazorla for Arsenal in the 2014-15 season.
The German playmaker also attempted a record 174 passes, completing a sensationally accurate 167 of those.
Those tallies are six and ten passes more in each category respectively.
Amazingly, young full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, 21, also joined the list, coming in sixth in the most-ever passes attempted stakes (152) - and fifth in passes completed (147).
Zinchenko also made the sixth-most touches in Premier League history during the clash.
Just to demonstrate City's dominance this season further, the Manchester giants now hold five of the the top ten most passes attempted and completed in Premier League history.
It's fair to say it'll now take something miraculous to prevent Guardiola's men from lifting the trophy come May...