Some of the main architects in the Cityzens' recent domination must now shoulder responsibility for the team's shocking run of form
'Crisis' and 'Manchester City' are not words that usually sit together, certainly not in the modern era. But there is no other way to describe the predicament the club are in right now. They have lost five games in a row for the first time since 2006, when Stuart Pearce was in charge. And these have not been narrow defeats. Saturday' 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham was the club's heaviest defeat in 21 years at the Etihad Stadium, and it came weeks after they were destroyed 4-1 by Sporting CP.
For fans who remember what life was like before the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, it feels like being transported back to the bad old days when City were in the Division Two, losing at York City in 1998, or being humiliated by humble neighbours Stockport County in 2002. It is certainly uncharted territory for Pep Guardiola, who has lost three league games in a row for the first time as City coach and suffered five defeats in a row in all competitions for the first time in his 17-year coaching career.
City have been ravaged by injuries, the most important of which was suffered by Rodri against Arsenal two months ago. Gunners' midfielder Thomas Partey could therefore be seen as the architect of City's downfall, as it was his challenge which led to the Spaniard damaging his knee and requiring surgery which ruled him out for the entire season. Rodri showed off his Ballon d'Or in a glitzy pre-match ceremony on Saturday, and once the game began, City were given a brutal reminder of how much they have come to rely upon him, as Tottenham monstered the midfield.
But even with Rodri out and top centre-back Ruben Dias also missing, City cannot put all their problems down to injuries. Plenty of figures on the pitch as well as off it are not performing as they usually do. GOAL highlights six culprits as City desperately look to stop the rot on Tuesday against Feyenoord in the Champions League:
GettyKyle Walker
"Goodness gracious me," was how Gary Neville reacted while commentating for as he watched Timo Werner fly past the helpless Kyle Walker to set up Brennan Johnson to put the final nail in City's coffin on Saturday. "You don’t see that very often, but we’ve seen it a few times in the last couple of weeks. Vinicius Jr, [Kylian] Mbappe, he’s handled them all, Walker, but he’s struggling at this moment in time."
That's an understatement. Walker has been having a torrid time lately, to the point that his recent form has been compared to the final weeks of Neville's own career, when he decided to retire in the middle of a season, just before his 36th birthday. Walker turned 34 at the end of last season, in which he was one of City's most consistent performers.
He had staged an incredible turnaround within the previous year, battling his way back into Guardiola's starting XI during the treble season, after the coach had called into question Walker's ability to fit into the coach's revised system. The England international started 30 Premier League games in 2023-24, having not started more than 22 in the previous three campaigns, and he was an ever-present in the crunch Champions League and FA Cup ties. He also played every minute in the Three Lions' run to the Euro 2024 final.
It is tempting to conclude that all those minutes have finally caught up with Walker. The hamstring injury he suffered late last season during an England friendly, which prompted a recent outburst from Guardiola, did not help. He has struggled with niggling fitness issues this season, and before the recent game with Bournemouth, the coach said the veteran had trained for just six minutes.
Walker's renaissance at his age, not to mention all the turmoil in his private life, was truly remarkable, but now it feels like that renaissance is over.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPhil Foden
Has anyone seen the reigning PFA Player of the Year this season? The man who scooped up every individual award last season has played 10 games this season, but it has often felt like Phil Foden has not been there at all. Last season he scored 19 Premier League goals and set up a further eight, but this term he has contributed to just one goal, the corner from which John Stones headed in the winner at Wolves.
Foden looked in a confident mood when the Tottenham game started, but his bright start faded. He had five attempts on goal, but only hit the target with one in a performance that was in keeping with his other recent ragged displays. At Bournemouth, he had four shots and they all missed the target. He has only located his shooting boots in the Champions League, scoring three times in three starts. He has also been unable to run the play as he did so often last season, lacking the security of having Rodri behind him.
Foden's difficult season came after a very disappointing showing with England at the Euros, when he contributed to zero goals despite starting all seven games. Perhaps a drop-off was inevitable after such a brilliant previous campaign, but City should expect far more from their homegrown star boy than they are currently getting.
GettyIlkay Gundogan
Getting the serial-winning Ilkay Gundogan back for free just one year after he had left the club for Barcelona felt like a no-brainer for City, an open goal of a transfer with huge upside and very few downsides. But Gundogan's return has been far from happy.
Against Tottenham, he was forced to fill the void of the absences of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic by anchoring the midfield alongside Rico Lewis, but he looked lost, failing to get to grips with the brilliant James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
"Gundogan couldn't get around the pitch today. He couldn't get near anybody and his focus wasn't right," said Jamie Redknapp on . "He just couldn't match Spurs' energy in midfield all game."
Saturday's game wasn't the only match in which he has struggled, though. He has started four of the five games in this losing streak, and in the previous meeting with Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, he was hauled off at half-time.
Rather like Walker, Gundogan's decline should not be too surprising given he turned 34 in October, and the fact he retired from international football after the Euros underlined the fact he is in the autumn of his career. His year in Spanish football, which is played at a sauntering rhythm compared to in England, has also given him bad habits. Right now he appears to be unable to cope with the unforgiving pace of Premier League, especially without Rodri by his side.
Getty Images SportTxiki Begiristain and the recruitment team
Last summer, City spent the lowest amount of money not just in the Guardiola era, but in the 16 years of the Abu Dhabi ownership. Indeed, the £20m ($25m) they used to sign Savinho was the least they had spent in a summer transfer window since 2006, when the club was owned by a consortium of English businessman and legendary player Francis Lee. Savinho and Gundogan were the only new arrivals, making it the second-quietist summer in terms of business in Guardiola's era, only beaten by 2021 when Jack Grealish was the sole signing, albeit for a Premier League-record fee of £100m.
The low number of arrivals was surprising because, even though City had won a fourth-consecutive title, a large number of players were on the wrong side of 30. The squad was in urgent need of renewal, but City's recruitment department, led by the highly-admired Txiki Begiristain, did not need the warning signs. While Savinho remains an exciting prospect, he is still a rough diamond, underlined by the fact he is yet to score for his new club.
Bringing back Gundogan also served to increase the average of the squad, and that move looks to have been motivated by romanticism rather than what the squad needed. Their biggest mistake, however, was not replacing Julian Alvarez after selling him to Atletico Madrid, leaving Erling Haaland as their only centre-forward.
The meagre recruitment drive is even harder to understand given that City made £117 ($147m) in sales and are awash with cash amid record levels of revenue.
