What Has Gone Wrong For Manchester City This Season?

Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes look to be fading fast as the Citizens head into the new year 14 points behind rivals Liverpool. Pep Guardiola’s side have suffered five defeats in the campaign and have a battle on their hands now to secure second place at the end of the season as that spot is currently occupied by Leicester.

Here is a look at what has gone wrong this season for Manchester City to find themselves in this position at the halfway point of the campaign.

Defensive Injuries

Manchester City’s biggest problem has been at the back. They have been shipping in too many goals. Guardiola has been very unlucky with injuries to key defensive players, most notably Aymeric Laporte, who is arguably their best defender and has been out since early September.

The City boss has been forced to play defensive midfielder Fernandinho as a centre-back for large parts of the season so far, while youngster Eric Garcia has picked up some game time more recently.

Liverpool Have Grown Stronger

As much as we can analyse where Manchester City have gone wrong, a lot of credit has to go to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. The Merseyside club have been magnificent this season, where they remain unbeaten in the Premier League.


Liverpool are now as short as 1/20 in the football betting for the league title. If they do manage to convert that position into the championship, it will be their first league success since 1990.

Defending A Title Is Not Easy

Manchester City became the first team to defend a Premier League title last season since their local neighbours Manchester United managed that feat in 2009. United made it look easy in the 90s and 00s, however, the league has become far more competitive over the last decade as there have been four different winners of the league across that period. 

The desire to win the Premier League is probably not quite as strong when it comes to defending it. Those who have missed out generally come back stronger and have the added motivation to do better.

Champions League May Be The Priority

Guardiola was brought into Manchester City to help the club win the Champions League. The Spaniard has won Europe’s premier competition on two occasions, both of those successes came with Barcelona. 

City have underperformed in the Champions League under his reign so far as the furthest they have reached is the quarter-final of the competition. They have been beaten by English teams over the last two years in close affairs.

Given the domestic success they had last year, you have to think the Champions League was the number one priority when the campaign began. They have reached the last 16 with ease and now have a tie against Real Madrid to look forward to in February.

As bad as their Premier League defence has been so far, the season could still end as a success for Guardiola and City, especially with the transfer window now open as they may bring in one or two new faces to freshen up their squad. 


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