A fresh scratch ran right across the middle of Pep Guardiola’s nose. It looked as though someone had clawed him moments earlier. During the press conference, a journalist asked how it happened. Guardiola candidly admitted, “I scratched myself with my own nails.” A surprising confession, no doubt. Why would a man in his 50s react like this after failing to win a match? The reason is simple—his name is Guardiola. A man who doesn’t know what it feels like to lose repeatedly, someone for whom a trophy-less season is a rarity.
Over the past two seasons, Guardiola’s Manchester City lost no more than seven matches across all competitions. But when that same man loses seven of his last ten games, scratching his nose out of frustration doesn’t seem that unusual. Ironically, the match in question wasn’t even a loss. City drew 3–3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League after squandering a 3–0 lead.
How desperate must one be to win a match to behave this way? It brings to mind legendary Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger’s autobiography My Life in Red and White.
Wenger wrote, “I often think about what my first conversation with God will be like after death. He will ask me, ‘What did you do in life? How did you give meaning to it?’ I will say, ‘I tried to win football matches.’ ‘Is that it?’ He’ll ask, disappointed. Then I’ll try to explain that winning matches is far more difficult than it sounds.”
Who knows if Guardiola has read Wenger’s autobiography? If he has, he may have chuckled at that passage, thinking, “Winning matches? That’s child’s play for me!” But now Guardiola is feeling the bitter taste of reality. The tide has turned, and he is struggling to win even a single match. One win in the last 10 games—could Guardiola have even dreamed of such a nightmare?
This is the truth of life. No one is invincible; everyone stumbles eventually. And that truth has finally caught up with Guardiola.
Tonight, Guardiola’s Manchester City faces a tough Manchester Derby at the Etihad Stadium under this harsh reality. The only comfort? Their city rivals, Manchester United, are in an even worse position. Despite their poor run, City still sits fourth on the Premier League table, while United languishes in 13th place, having lost their last two games. In many ways, tonight’s derby is a battle of which Manchester team is the least bad. Looking at both teams’ struggles, it’s no wonder Manchester’s sky feels a little gloomy.
But Guardiola’s biggest challenge isn’t the players on the pitch; it’s the man in the opposing dugout—Rúben Amorim. In their last meeting, when Amorim was managing Sporting Lisbon, City suffered a crushing 4–1 defeat. Now, Amorim is in charge of Manchester United, and though he hasn’t had a smooth start, Guardiola won’t underestimate him.
Amorim himself downplayed expectations ahead of the match, saying, “Good teams can bounce back at any time. They (City) are a better team than us. Despite their recent struggles, they are more likely to win.”
This could be read as an early surrender—or a clever psychological tactic to shift pressure onto City. Guardiola will surely be aware of this mind game, but with his resources stretched thin, even managing these tactics might feel like a luxury. Injuries have decimated City’s squad to the point where Guardiola doesn’t even have the option to field more than three defenders.
City’s best hope tonight lies in United’s own disarray. If United’s poor form continues, it could give Guardiola’s team the edge they need. But if United shows up with a well-thought-out plan, City could find themselves struggling once again.
They say being a coach is one of the world’s most uncertain jobs. Win a match, and you’re hailed as immortal on Sunday; lose the next week, and they wonder why you’re still alive. Guardiola hasn’t yet faced this level of criticism at City, but if things don’t improve, the murmurs of discontent could grow louder—even from City’s own fans at the Etihad.
Guardiola surely knows this, and tonight’s derby is his chance to turn things around. For Amorim, it’s an opportunity to prove himself as a big-match manager—a chance to show that the man standing in the red dugout can dominate the blue side of Manchester.
This is more than just a football match; it’s a battle for survival, a fight to protect reputations. And it’s this clash of two ambitious coaches that could make tonight’s Manchester Derby an unforgettable tale—a modern-day football epic waiting to be written.
