Manchester City’s malaise leaves the English champions within the uncommon place of fretting over qualification for the knockout phases of the Champions League forward of a difficult journey to Italian giants Juventus. City have gained simply as soon as of their previous 9 video games in all competitions, with an damage disaster and a lack of type for a few of their largest stars resulting in the worst run of Pep Guardiola’s managerial profession. Despite a 4-1 humbling by Sporting Lisbon and an embarrassing collapse from 3-0 up to attract 3-3 in opposition to Feyenoord, they’re nonetheless ready to qualify from the brand new league-phase format.
They sit seventeenth within the 36-team desk, with a top-24 end sufficient to safe a spot within the playoff spherical at least.
However, their probabilities of direct entry to the final 16 by ending within the high eight look slim, with one other tough journey to Paris Saint-Germain to return in January earlier than a house recreation in opposition to Club Brugge.
The Champions League is much more vital for City this season with their Premier League title defence seemingly in tatters.
After an unprecedented 4 consecutive English top-flight titles, the champions, in fourth place, path Liverpool by eight factors and Arne Slot’s males even have a recreation in hand.
City have typically hit high type down the house straight to win the league throughout Guardiola’s six title successes up to now seven seasons.
This time the temper music across the Etihad is completely different, with accidents amongst an ageing squad taking a heavy toll.
“The season begins tough, it will likely be tough all season,” mentioned Guardiola after his aspect’s newest stumble in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
“We must survive the season, each recreation, attempt to take factors, to attempt to win video games and go ahead.”
City squad ‘not sufficient’
Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is the largest miss and is unlikely to return once more this season after struggling an anterior cruciate ligament damage in September.
John Stones, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic and Oscar Bobb are additionally sidelined for the journey to Turin, whereas Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden are among the many massive names to have missed vital chunks of the marketing campaign up to now.
“If the squad is that this brief then it’s at all times so tough for all of the gamers to play three days after three days,” mentioned midfielder Bernardo Silva.
“With a squad of 20 gamers, should you solely have 13 accessible, it isn’t ok.”
City have little time to lick their wounds, with 12 video games in 50 days between the Juventus conflict and the top of the league part on January 29.
“The medical doctors and physios are working unimaginable this season like by no means earlier than I’ve ever seen however the actuality is we have now few gamers to rotate on this interval,” mentioned Guardiola. “This season shall be like this.
“Don’t really feel sorry, settle for the problem and possibly on the finish we may have extra satisfaction about the way in which we behave than in different seasons once we gained the titles.”
The hope for City is that they might but be Champions League contenders if their medical room empties they usually discover their customary type come the decisive spell of the season within the spring.
Just one win from their ultimate three video games will nearly actually assure qualification.
All three of their opponents to return are beneath them within the desk, with Juventus themselves on a four-game winless run and floundering in sixth place in Serie A.
City have to look again simply two years for inspiration. Defeats to Brentford, Southampton, Manchester United and Tottenham within the winter months of the 2022/23 marketing campaign had Guardiola questioning whether or not the starvation had gone from his squad after feasting on silverware for thus lengthy.
A number of months later, they lifted the treble, together with the membership’s solely Champions League so far.
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