Pep Guardiola’s managerial career has been largely free of turmoil, with successful stints at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
Image credit: City Report
Manchester City’s dominance in English football over the past six years has been undeniable, but their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal has raised serious questions about their current form.
Once the team to beat, City now find themselves 15 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, with any hopes of defending their title long gone.
For the first time in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career, his team has conceded four or more goals in four separate games in a single season.
They have now let in 53 goals in 36 matches—just one short of last season’s total of 54 goals conceded in 59 games.
Former City defender Micah Richards acknowledged the severity of the situation, saying:
I don’t expect them to win the league every year, but the fall-off has been so dramatic. I wouldn’t say the end of an era, [but] maybe coming to an end.
What Went Wrong at the Emirates?
City’s struggles were evident from the start, as Arsenal capitalized on a defensive mistake to take the lead within two minutes through Martin Ødegaard.
Defensive errors have been a recurring issue for City this season, with the team now responsible for eight mistakes leading to goals—the highest tally in a single campaign under Guardiola.
Despite a brief moment of hope when Erling Haaland equalized in the 55th minute with a powerful header, City’s resurgence lasted just 105 seconds.
Thomas Partey quickly restored Arsenal’s lead before a relentless attacking display saw teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, along with Kai Havertz, add further goals.
As Arsenal’s fifth goal went in, BBC Radio 5 Live summarizer Matt Upson stated:
Man City are completely broken.
Arsenal, having finished as runners-up to City in the past two seasons, now look like Liverpool’s strongest title challengers, sitting just six points behind the leaders.
“It Swung the Wrong Way for Us”
The aftermath of the defeat left City’s players and staff struggling to process what had happened.
John Stones reflected on the disappointment, saying:
It is hard to put into words straight after a game like that. Pride hurts. Sorry to the fans that have travelled to come and watch that. How we played in the last 30 minutes was not acceptable.
For 65 minutes, we played some great football at times. We were in the game and it was a swinging point. It swung the wrong way for us. I am angry, upset personally and collectively about how the game finished.
Guardiola, meanwhile, expressed his frustration:
I only regret the last 25 minutes. We forgot to do what we should do, what we have done for 65 or 70 minutes. The rest was a really good game for our side. It’s difficult to understand when you see the result, but this is my feeling.
No Corner Turned for City
Manchester City have set incredibly high standards in recent years, winning four consecutive Premier League titles and securing the Treble just 18 months ago.
However, their inconsistency this season has been alarming.
At one point in November, City were unbeaten in 32 Premier League matches. Then came a six-game winless streak across all competitions.
While they briefly recovered, more disappointing results—including defeats to Sporting, Manchester United, and Tottenham, as well as surrendering a 3-0 lead to Feyenoord—have exposed deeper problems.
Before the Arsenal defeat, City’s only loss in 2025 had come against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. However, the heavy defeat at the Emirates confirmed that their issues remain unresolved.
Guardiola admitted the trend has been a season-long concern:
It’s happened all season, we are giving away too many things. We are aware this cannot happen, it happened.
With just 41 points from 24 league games—City’s lowest tally at this stage since 2008/09—they remain in fourth place, but Newcastle, Chelsea, and Bournemouth are all within a point of them.
City’s defensive fragility, inconsistent performances, and inability to control matches as they once did suggest that the Guardiola era may be approaching a critical juncture.
If they cannot turn things around soon, their dominance in English football may well be coming to an end.