After a period of unprecedented dominance, Manchester City find themselves in a state of crisis. This article analyzes the factors contributing to their decline, focusing on the impact of Rodri's injury and Guardiola's recent managerial decisions.
Paul Fennessy EVERYTHING seemed to change after Man City’s last meeting with Arsenal . It will almost certainly be the game that goes some way towards explaining and defining their season. It is not inconceivable that in years to come, the match might become widely perceived as the beginning of the end of the Pep Guardiola era. Certainly, it seems to have been the end of the City team the Catalan coach had spent years building.
After arriving in English football in 2016, it didn’t take long for Guardiola to turn City into the Premier League’s dominant side. In his eight seasons before this one, only two have ended without the league title. Their lowest points tally, 78, occurred in Guardiola’s first campaign at the club and they have consistently racked up 80-plus points since. In four of the eight campaigns, they have achieved 90-plus points, along with Liverpool, normalising a feat, which was extremely rare before Guardiola’s tenure. Backed by considerable and allegedly illegal financial might, their peak was arguably the 2022-23 campaign when City secured a historic treble. It initially appeared to be business as usual this season. The Etihad outfit were strong favourites to claim a fifth successive league title and winning all four of their opening games reinforced this view. Then, on 22 September, City hosted an Arsenal side who had come closest to ending their dominance in the last two seasons. The most crucial aspect of that fixture was not the result. It was an injury to City’s key player, Rodri. The torn ACL means the Spanish international remains out of action five months later, though it was not necessarily a season-ending setback amid reports City are set to name the 28-year-old in their Champions League squad. Advertisement The day itself seemed to end positively for City. John Stones’ 98th-minute goal meant their rivals had to settle for a point. Really, though, anyone watching the game closely might have noticed signs of the hosts’ imminent decline. The fact that a strong City side struggled to break down an Arsenal team who had to play more than half the game with 10 men will have worried fans. They may have been missing talented attacking player Kevin De Bruyne, but City in their pomp would almost certainly have gone on to triumph comfortably when given a man advantage for so long. Yet there was a surprising lack of creativity and staleness to their forward moves as Arsenal adopted the rather unsophisticated tactics of shutting up shop and yet were seconds away from an unlikely three points. Other Premier League teams were surely watching and learning how comfortably the Gunners were able to contain their opponents. City did not spiral instantaneously thereafter. They followed it up with a draw at Newcastle and narrow wins over Fulham, Wolves and Southampton. Yet no one could have predicted what would happen next, as Guardiola was met with the biggest crisis of his managerial career. An awful run saw them lose six and win only one of their next nine Premier League matches. However, a dramatic collapse against PSG 11 days ago was a reminder that the reigning champions remain vulnerable to catastrophe at the highest level, after flirting with a humiliating Champions League group-stage exit that they avoided with a win over Club Brugge on Wednesday. They may yet get back to their best under Guardiola — today’s return fixture against Arsenal will be a good barometer of where they stand — but the situation has changed irrevocably since that last Gunners game. Rodri’s injury had a domino effect and they have struggled to recover. Winning the Premier League title is no longer a realistic aim thanks to their dramatic drop in performance. They are 15 points adrift of table toppers Liverpool, who will have a game in hand after this afternoon’s match. A rebuilding process is sorely needed and it has already begun. 34-year-old Kyle Walker, whose physical powers were receding, has been sent on loan to AC Milan and has almost certainly played his last game for the English club. Omar Marmoush (€75 million), Abdukodir Khusanov (€40 million) and Vitor Reis (€37 million) have all been recruited this month from Eintracht Frankfurt, Lens and Palmeiras respectively. Khusanov had an especially unconvincing debut, and Guardiola’s recent record in the transfer market is one of the reasons why City are in their current predicament. Selling players like Cole Palmer and Julian Alvarez looks unwise with the benefit of hindsight while summer signings Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan have hardly set the world alight. In many ways, you could argue the pressure is off as the club won’t win the league, so they can afford to blood youngsters like Khusanov with an eye on next seaso
Manchester City Pep Guardiola Rodri Premier League Arsenal Crisis Decline Transfer Market
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man City End Crisis with Dominant Win Over West HamManchester City secured a crucial victory against West Ham, signaling a return to form after a mid-season slump. Erling Haaland and other City players contributed to the win, putting them one step closer to securing a Champions League spot.
Read more »
Cork City Sign Stoke City Teenager Freddie Anderson on LoanCork City have secured the loan signing of 18-year-old Stoke City defender Freddie Anderson for the remainder of the 2025 season. Anderson, the son of former England international Viv Anderson, will gain valuable first-team experience at Turner’s Cross. He recently participated in the USA Under-20 training camp ahead of the Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
Read more »
Guardiola Takes Responsibility for Man City's StrugglesManchester City manager Pep Guardiola accepts blame for his team's underwhelming performance this season, stating that he should have found a way to achieve better results despite injuries and other challenges. City aim to secure consecutive victories for the first time since late October when they host West Ham on Saturday.
Read more »
Man City Rebound with Victory Over West HamManchester City secured a crucial win against West Ham United, with goals from Vladimir Coufal's own goal and Phil Foden. Savinho was instrumental in the victory, setting up three goals for City. Despite a spirited performance from West Ham, with Jarrod Bowen causing problems for the City defense, the Hammers were unable to secure an equalizer.
Read more »
Man City End Slump with Dominant Win Over West HamManchester City secured consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since October, defeating West Ham thanks to goals from Erling Haaland, Savinho, and Phil Foden. This dominant win signifies a return to form for City after a mid-season slump.
Read more »
Man Dies After Incident in Dublin City CentreA man in his late 60s died in hospital after collapsing following an altercation with another person on Lower Baggot Street in Dublin. Gardaí are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and are appealing for witnesses, including motorists with dashcam footage, to come forward.
Read more »