New Delhi: Pep Guardiola was asked what he valued most about his Manchester City players less than four months ago. At the time, City were undefeated and had won nine of their first 12 games of the season in all competitions. With late goals against Wolves and Arsenal, they appeared very much capable of winning the Premier League for the seventh time in a row. After City transformed a 2-1 lead against Real Madrid into a 3-2 loss with 10 minutes left at the Etihad Stadium, it is worthwhile to revisit the coach’s response.
At that time, Pep was confident about his players’ mentality and also mentioned it publicly saying, “They have an incredible mentality.” That statement seems so distant now. Because Manchester City’s mental fragility is, if anything, what best describes them right now. With a run of form where they have suffered a number of set-backs, not just in Europe but also in the domestic league, Pep Guardiola’s great soldiers are slowly starting to lose the battles and a calamity has hit at the Etihad stadium. But how did a team that seemed like a true force of nature decline this badly? There are a numerous factors that have affected City’s season and it seems like dark times are only going to get darker if immediate chage is not brought it.
Where’s the winning mentality?
Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City looks on as Phil Foden lays injured during the UEFA Champions League Play-off first leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid C.F. at Etihad Stadium. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images)
What once distinguished the Premier League champions from the others is now slowly becoming their greatest vulnerability. Under Guardiola’s leadership, City has collected 18 trophies and won six league titles in the last seven years. However, City has experienced something genuinely noteworthy this season. They have dropped as many games from winning situations in 2024/25 as they had in the four seasons prior combined. Although it was dramatic and impressive, Madrid’s late comeback from trailing 2-1 in the 80th minute to leading 3-2 in the 91st was not unexpected.
It wasn’t even City’s most recent setback of the season. Before giving up Bruno Fernandes’ penalty in the 88th minute, Guardiola’s team were ahead against Manchester United in their previous Manchester derby. However, in the 90th minute, Amad Diallo scored the game-winning goal which was again due to casual defending from the Sky Blues. They simply threw away a 2-0 lead to the Parisian in their Champions League fixture a couple of weeks back, as PSG managed to thrash them 4-2, while also losing against Brighton and Sporting from winning positions.
In games they haven’t lost, City have also blown leads. For instance, last month, they were ahead 2-0 at Brentford but ended up drawing 2-2 after giving up goals in the 82nd and 92nd minutes. In five of their nine games in the Champions League, they have conceded eight goals in the final 16 minutes. The 3-3 tie with Feyenoord was their most stunning surrender; they did not lose the game, but it felt like a loss because they wasted their 3-0 lead by giving up three goals in the 74th and 89th minutes.
All of these instances suggest that Manchester City have really lacked the mentality and self belief, panicking in the final moments of the match. This is surely something that many of us couldn’t have anticipated and Pep Guardiola’s biggest problem is the fact that he is just not able to pull his side back. The problem lies with the way players have simply just lost their confidence in what they were good at. Ederson was one of City’s best players against Madrid until he palmed Vinicius’ central shot straight to Brahim Diaz’s feet, giving the Spaniards their second equalizer.
Ederson was responsible for the losses in Paris and Turin as well as the heartbreaking draw with Feyenoord. Jude Bellingham won the match after Rico Lewis, who is also having the worst time on the pitch, lost focus and gave the ball to Vinicius, the last person he intended to give it to. Guardiola had a hard time telling his team what had happened and it seems like he will be facing a lot more such uncomfortable interviews in the long run.
The City stars are losing legs
It seems like Manchester City have taken too long to make the necessary changes in the squad, with some of their biggest stars just running out of gas. This season still has the feel of an era coming to an end, with a great squad nearing the conclusion of its journey, even though City may still defy the odds in Madrid. After so many years of being dependable in goal during City’s many triumphs, Ederson now appears fragile. The technically gifted Bernardo Silva who is now 30, and the legendary Kevin de Bruyne, who is 33, were slow and unimportant.
John Stones attempted to serve as a defensive screen, but Real Madrid’s Mbappe, Vinicius, and Rodrygo pose too much of a threat, and Bellingham is always willing to add his own threat, which he did with devastating results. Meanwhile, the late involvement of veteran Ilkay Gundogan turned out to be of no use. Meanwhile, despite the new additions to the squad, players like Marmoush, Khusanov, Gonzalez and Reis would need a considerable amount of time to settle into the system of Pep Guardiola.
Although winning at the Bernabeu is a huge undertaking for Guardiola, there is growing indication that he has a similar task to do in bringing Manchester City’s fallen champions back to life.
Manchester City seem to have hit rock bottom this season, and after last night’s performance, it only looks worse for Pep Guardiola’s side who were once striking fear in the hearts of their fiercest of rivals. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
