Sheer dominance is what solidifies great teams in the history books. Posting a season where spectators and opponents simply say that they are unbeatable is one of the greatest achievements in sport. Over the last year, some very strong teams have emerged, some of which can be put down as truly dominant teams. So, we’re going to jump across the world from North America to Europe and to Oceania to find these newly emerged forces within their own sports; those that could one day be described as simply unstoppable units of the time. Of course, in the present, the dominance of these teams lends their star players to becoming fantasy sports darlings when their seasons get underway.
Manchester City
Source: Squawka Football, via Twitter
The 2017/18 season saw Manchester City take the Premier League title with one of the most dominant performances that the league has ever seen. The Citizens won 32 games, drew four, and only lost twice en route to claiming 100 points. The unstoppable City scored 106, which was 22 more than the next closest team, and only allowed 27 for the best defensive record in the league.
The team headlined by the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, and Fernandinho broke 11 records last season, according to ESPN, including: biggest title-winning margin; earliest title success; most goals; most wins; most consecutive wins; most points; and biggest goal difference. Manchester City will be returning this season with the entirety of the title-winning squad this season, with the additions of young center-back Philippe Sandler and Leicester City star winger Riyad Mahrez. They are the favorites to win the league and continue their immense dominance in 2019.
Golden State Warriors
Source: SuperSport, via Twitter
They may have finished seven games behind the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference, but the Golden State Warriors knew that they didn’t need to go all-out in the regular season to display their dominance once again. In the NBA Playoffs, the Warriors laid waste to all who stood before them. They may have required seven games in the Conference Finals, but that merely warmed them up for one of their greatest victories to date.
Against a weary LeBron James and the team he had carried to the NBA Finals, Golden State ran riot. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant combined to obliterate the Cleveland Cavaliers in just four games to win their third NBA Championship in four years. As explained by The Guardian, the decimation laid out by the Warriors would end up forcing the best player in the league to leave Cleveland. With that kind of departure fans will need all the NBA betting tips they can get this season.
Richmond Tigers
Source: Fox Footy Live, via Twitter
Following an incredibly closely contested AFL Premiership Season in 2017, the Richmond Tigers emerged from the AFL Grand Final as the new premiers of the league. In doing so, the Tigers proved themselves to be a very strong, well-rounded team. Winning their 11th Grand Final appears to have merely spurred Richmond on to become a truly dominant force.
This season, Richmond has led the league for the vast majority of the campaign, winning 14 and only losing four through 18 games. But, what really makes a dominant team is its ability to bounce back from defeat. In Round 17 (of 23) Richmond slipped up against the GWS Giants to lose 79-77. But, knowing the caliber of the Richmond team, Oddschecker predicted a dominant win of over 24 points when they faced their next opponent, which the Tigers certainly did. A 111-57 win over St Kilda put Richmond back on track. They’re expected to continue their dominance and become a back-to-back Grand Final winner this year.
Boston Red Sox
Source: Boston Red Sox, via Twitter
Early in this 2018 MLB season, the Boston Red Sox broke to the top of the American League East, but almost every pundit and fan outside of Boston saw it as only a temporary stance. With their eternal rivals, the New York Yankees, as one of the favorites to make it to the World Series this season, the Red Sox were expected to drop the pace at some point and fall behind the Yankees.
However, as the Red Sox hit the 109-game mark (of 162), they had peeled away to a five-game lead over the Yankees. Not only was Boston leading their division, but they also led the league, with the Yankees and Houston Astros their next closest foes at five wins back. Now, people are seriously considering the Red Sox as potential World Series contenders. Such dominance in the regular season doesn’t always translate to postseason success, but Boston’s dominance cannot be denied as an incredible feat so far.
Across the world, sports teams are emerging in their leagues to showcase the power of a dominant team. Fans of these sports could be talking about these teams in decades to come if they can maintain their dominance and produce more trophies.
Featured Image Credit: Keith Allison/Flickr C.C. 2.0
