Manchester City’s recent form across all competitions has taken a drastic turn for the worse. Pep Guardiola’s side has managed just one win in their last 10 matches, a stretch that includes two draws and a staggering seven defeats. What started as a slight dip in performance has snowballed into a full-blown crisis, with setbacks across all fronts.
Their most recent blow came in the Champions League, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Juventus on their home turf, further highlighting their struggles. The situation isn’t just about the results but also the team’s overall performance, which has been alarmingly poor in several areas:
- Defensive Woes: Since the start of November, City has conceded over 20 goals across all competitions — the most among Europe’s top five leagues.
- Away Match Struggles: In their last seven away games, they’ve allowed two or more goals in each match, equaling their total from the previous 46 away games combined.
- Champions League Decline: After keeping three clean sheets in their first three games this season, City has now conceded nine goals in their last three matches (four against Sporting, three against Feyenoord, and two against Juventus).
- Guardiola’s Career First: This is the first time in Guardiola’s managerial career that his team has conceded two or more goals in three consecutive Champions League matches.
- Historic Low for Clean Sheets: City hasn’t kept a single clean sheet in their last eight away matches, tying Guardiola’s worst-ever streak from October 2016.
City had started the season strong, showing every intention of retaining their Premier League crown and reclaiming the Champions League title. However, their decline began abruptly after a League Cup loss to Tottenham Hotspur on October 30, and it’s been a downward spiral since.
In the Premier League, the reigning champions are now fourth with 27 points from 15 matches, trailing league leaders Liverpool by eight points. To make matters worse, Liverpool has a game in hand, meaning the gap could widen further.
Their Champions League campaign is in even worse shape. With just eight points from six matches, City has dropped to 22nd in the table. Securing a spot in the top eight for direct qualification to the knockout stage seems unlikely. Even finishing within 9th-24th to make the playoffs is shaping up to be a major challenge for Guardiola’s struggling side.
