Manchester City are absolutely on fire. The blue half of the city has firmly stepped out of the shadow of rivals Manchester United to storm their way to the top of the Premier League, losing just one game while drawing just three all season. They currently sit 16 points clear of United in second, a nearly insurmountable lead with just 11 games to go, and have remained alive in four competitions (Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup). Pep Guardiola's scintillating style of football has set the world alight this season, and the first quadruple in English history is on, so here's how it happened.

1. Pep Guardiola

If there was any doubt as to whether or not Pep Guardiola is the best manager in world football, there isn't now. For all the talk of City's massive budget, its been players from the old regime that have flourished the most under the Catalan's tutelage. Raheem Sterling has suddenly become one of Europe's deadliest forwards, while the young Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane look electric every time they step on the pitch. Solid veterans Kyle Walker, Fernandinho, and star Sergio Aguero have all hit new heights under Pep. What speaks the most about Pep's managerial skill is the ability to get the best out of every player, even those thought to be nothing special, such as Fabian Delph, a simply average center midfielder, who through injury to players ahead of him, was transformed into one of the Premier League's very best left-backs. The incredible high press and passing mentality of a Guardiola-coached team brought limitless levels of success to Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and now, Manchester City.

2. Young Talent

The top-down youth investment that City have made over the last five years is beginning to pay massive dividends. From stars such as Sterling, Sane, and Jesus all the way down to promising prospects Phil Foden, Pablo Maffeo, Douglas Luiz, and Oleksander Zinchenko, City have amassed an impressive corps of young stars that will keep the flame of the Pep era alive for years to come.

3. Star Power

With simply one of the best rosters in the Premier League, all this team needed to be transformed from an underachieving team into one of the world's best was to play cohesively. From Kevin de Bruyne to Aguero, this team has two of the very best players in the world, and their special contributions have lit up countless stadiums over the year. In the end, with the budget and stature City now possess as a club, the future is bright on the blue half of Manchester. Here's to it.