Manchester City is experiencing one of the most extreme falls from grace in Premier League history. The once-dominant team has now lost nine of their last twelve matches, and there’s little indication that Pep Guardiola knows how to turn things around. Despite the team’s massive £1.19bn squad value, their performances have been embarrassingly poor. With the absence of Rodri being the only justifiable excuse for some of the issues, Guardiola’s inability to find solutions adds to the embarrassment.
As City’s recent struggles have seen them slip to sixth in the Premier League, the idea that Guardiola will fix things simply because of his track record is fading fast. His admission that he lacks the “energy” to manage another club after City and the team’s current state suggests that a change of mindset, usually through a managerial change, might be necessary. While it would be a bold move for a club that owes Guardiola so much, sacking him now could be a kindness to both the manager and the team, as he seems to be at his lowest point with a team that appears to have given up.
The opening goal in City’s latest defeat to Aston Villa was more about Villa’s brilliance than City’s failings, but there were still clear mistakes from City. Tielemans’ fantastic pass and Rogers’ intelligent run set up a goal for Duran, which exposed City’s defensive flaws. Guardiola’s players failed to track runs or stop passes, showing a lack of commitment and focus.
City dominated possession in the first half, but it only played into Villa’s hands. As Guardiola acknowledged, any team is better than City when they lose the ball and concede transitions, and Villa capitalized on this weakness. Villa’s attacking play in the second half showed their confidence and creativity, with Tielemans and Rogers running rings around City’s midfield. Villa’s two goals were a result of superb individual performances, and they played with a freedom that City couldn’t match.
With their defensive fragility and lack of attack, City’s performance highlighted their drastic decline. Even when they scored a late consolation through Phil Foden, it only underscored their current demise. The team has lost its spark, making basic mistakes and failing to find the net. If this was any other team under a different manager, accusations of players downing tools and losing the dressing room would be inevitable.
The inevitable conclusion is that the only solution left may be to sack the manager, something that seems unthinkable but might ultimately benefit all parties involved.
