What’s Gone Wrong at Manchester City? From Treble Winners to Struggling Giants
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City were on top of the footballing world, dominating every competition and establishing themselves as the most dominant side in Europe. Fast forward to today, and the same team looks a shadow of its former self. The question everyone is asking: what went wrong?
Recruitment but No Identity
City’s transfer strategy hasn’t exactly collapsed—they’ve added talented players like Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Nico González,James Trafford,Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Abdukodir Khusanov. On paper, it’s a strong list. But on the pitch, something feels missing.
This is no longer the Manchester City that opponents feared. The style, the control, the aura—it’s faded. Recruitment alone doesn’t win titles, and it seems the replacements haven’t filled the void left by key departures.
The Kevin De Bruyne Mistake
Perhaps the biggest shock came when City allowed Kevin De Bruyne, arguably their greatest-ever player and one of the best midfielders in football history, to leave the club.
Worse still, he was let go on a free transfer during a period when the team needed leadership and creativity. De Bruyne has since shown at Napoli that he can still perform at the highest level, proving City may have made a grave mistake.
Shock Defeats and Declining Standards
This season has produced results that fans are simply not used to seeing from a Guardiola side:
- A 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham
- A 2-1 loss to Brighton where City were completely outplayed and outworked
Even in supposedly “positive” games, like the recent clash against Arsenal, City spent much of the match on the back foot, clinging onto a narrow lead instead of dictating play as they once did.
Guardiola’s Future: Regret or Redemption?
When Guardiola extended his contract after winning the treble, many thought it was the perfect continuation of his legacy. But now, some wonder if he should have left at the peak of his success.
Could he be regretting his decision to stay on? Maybe. Yet if there’s one manager in world football capable of turning things around, it’s Pep Guardiola. The only question is: will it be too late by the time he does?
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