Pep Guardiola is suddenly finding himself in strangely unfamiliar territory as he tries to disentangle himself and the squad from a string of consecutive defeats across the board in an unusual surprise slump following eight years of almost unimpeded success.
Although it is not new now for City to characteristically kick off with a slow start in their past few campaigns, their most recent ‘s 4-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday was a third straight loss for the English champions – the first time that has happened since 2018.
Midfielder Bernardo Silva was candid in admitting the side were in a “dark place” after the defeats against Tottenham, Bournemouth and Sporting in three different competitions.
However, never one to give in to pessimism or seek refuge in excuses, Guardiola opted for a more sanguine outlook, pledging to “fight and not give up”.
When the celebrated Spaniard confirmed in late September that Spain midfielder Rodri would miss the rest of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, that foreboded a potentially seismic situation. Despite being packed with talent, City’s squad is dependent on Rodri as the sealant who holds them together and he is on a personal unbeaten run spanning 52 Premier League fixtures. Last month the 28-year-old sealed his midfield supremacy when he won the men’s Ballon d’Or award in recognition of his achievements with City and Spain.
Guardiola has also been without a clutch of other stars this season, even though Kevin De Bruyne returned as a late substitute against Lisbon – his first appearance since mid-September.
Other luminaries like Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, John Stones and even promising youngster Oscar Bobb did not travel to Portugal, while other players have also been struggling with injury, including Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake.
Silva was adamant before City’s match in Portugal that they would “never find excuses” but even a club with their vast resources do not have ready replacements for players of the quality of Rodri and De Bruyne.
For the bulk of the past decade Manchester City have held sway in their indisputed domination of English football, breaking record after record under the widely-revered Guardiola. They became just the second club to win the Treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 2023 and last season emerged as the first club in history to win four straight English top-flight titles.
Guardiola’s hunger for success remains largely undiminished and he has successfully transferred that visionary ethos and passionate desire to his players, winning the Premier League in six of his eight full seasons at the Etihad.
The Catalan said in August that he and his players go into each campaign intensely fuelled by a desire to get even better despite their remarkable success.
“Always you can improve, always you have the desire to individually be better,” he said. “I want to be a better manager, and the players want to be better individually.”
Obviously it would only be too irresistible a tempation – and a potentially foolish impulse for rival managers – to exaggerate City’s current dilemma and lick their chops in gleeful antiipation as the defending champions still sit second in the Premier League and well-placed in the Champions League despite Tuesday’s unexpected defeat.
That said, any slight drop-off in motivation for City could prove calamitous in the ultra-competitive world of the Premier League.
Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of this season and there has long been speculation over whether he will sign a new deal. Recent reports suggest the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, 53, is likely to stay at the Etihad, for another year at least, which would lengthen his reign to a remarkable 10 years.
Another off-field distraction with huge potential ramifications is the ongoing hearing into more than 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, which could be impacting the squad’s morale.
City remain adamant in their denial of any wrongdoing and have said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to clear their name. However, if they are found guilty, they could face a range of punishments including a severe points penalty or even expulsion from the Premier League.
The hearing started in mid-September but the verdict of the independent commission is not likely to come before 2025.
To his credit, Guardiola has never wavered from his bullish stance in his defence of City, referring to his deep bond with the club, but he, like all true-blue City stalwarts, must be desperate to shed the unwanted distractions.