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Manchester City have been suffering a rough phase across all competitions for quite a long time now, as the pressure has been mounting on manager Pep Guardiola.
However, even after a busy January transfer window in 2025, the reigning Premier League champions got thrashed against Arsenal as the Gunners stamped a dominant 5-1 victory over the Blues on Sunday, February 2nd at the Emirates.
Full-time.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 2, 2025
π΄ 5-1 π©΅ #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/y0YQBcWsyM
Ahead of this season, City boss Pep Guardiola was entering his final year of contact. Although the Spaniard penned a two-year contract extension with the club in November 2024, a tumultuous season has been severely crumbling him.
This unexpected run of form has also been forcing the question to arise from time to time, should Manchester City sack Pep Guardiola?
City's uncharacteristic streak of bad performances throughout the season
Manchester City's tumultuous streak of frequent defeats started off with a shocking exit from the EFL Carabao Cup Round Of 16, as Tottenham Hotspur knocked the Blues out of the tournament with a 2-1 win on October 31st, 2024.
City went winless for the whole of November 2024, as they lost all three games in the Premier League, including a heavy 0-4 thrashing against Tottenham. In the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, Sporting CP crushed City 4-1 on November 23rd, whereas Feyenoord stalled City in a 3-3 draw on November 27th.
Man City haven't won a game since October π¬#LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/Z8FFrBYd5T
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 1, 2024
The Blues wrapped up the year 2024 with a 2-0 win over Leicester City, but as of 29 December 2024, Man City lost nine of their last 14 league games, winning just two.
They also lost two consecutive important matches; facing a 0-2 defeat against Juventus in the UCL 2024-25, following a shock 1-2 defeat against arch-rivals Manchester United in the prestigious Manchester Derby.
Pep Guardiola is now winless in his last seven games for the FIRST TIME EVER in his managerial career π³
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 1, 2024
It's also the first time he's been shutout in back-to-back PL games. pic.twitter.com/FSpXHHiITn
However, amid all these distressing series of defeats, City management did not fall short in reinforcing the squad in the 2025 January transfer window.
The Club has collectively cashed out almost €210 million to rope in serious talents such as winger Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, defender Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens, defender Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, whereas Nico Gonzalez from Porto is confirmed to be the latest to enlist himself in Pep Guardiola's roster.
π¨ Manchester City have now spent over €210M in the January transfer window:
— Football Tweet β½ξ¨ (@Football__Tweet) February 3, 2025
πͺπ¬ Omar Marmoush: €75M
πͺπΈ Nico Gonzalez: €60M (β³)
πΊπΏ Abdukodir Khusanov: €40M
π§π· Vitor Reis: €37M pic.twitter.com/tgJDBA9enP
However, their results and performances have remained inconsistent, facing a heavy 2-4 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League before their heavy defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
former Manchester United centre-back Mikael Silestre told beIN Sports, that he 'would' consider sacking Guardiola if was in charge.
Honestly, I would (consider sacking Guardiola). If I was running the club or I was an executive, I would have these thoughts with the owners,
How many times have they been trying to readdress the team and make sure they’re winning games and dominating like they used to. It’s not working.
City have managed to secure their Champions League play-off qualification on the last matchday, but another great challenge awaits them. Real Madrid will be up against City in the play-offs, and a good result may spare some time for Pep Guardiola.
On the other hand, the Blues are currently placed fourth in the Premier League table, having earned 41 points in 24 matches, with Newcastle, Chelsea, and Bournemouth chasing after the UEFA Champions League berth.
Factors that convince the City management to not sack Guardiola
Without a shred of doubt, Pep Guardiola has been the most successful manager in the history of Man City, and that is one of the most crucial reasons why City management may not think of sacking the Spanish manager.
Six Premier League titles in a span of seven years and 18 trophies overall, including the maiden UEFA Champions League victory in the 2022-23 season, always back the Spaniard in the discussion of sacking him.
No one can deny that it is Pep Guardiola who made City one of the scariest sides in Europe to dominate the pitch, though the team has failed to find the same groove for quite a long time.
Pep himself expressed his thoughts regarding the potential decision to sack him, as he told in November 2024:
At this football club you have to win and if you don't win, you will be in trouble,
I know the people say: 'Why is Pep not in trouble, why is Pep not sacked?' What we have done the last eight years is why I have this margin. What's for sure is I want to stay. I want to do it. But the moment I feel I am not positive for the club another one will come. It has to be.
I have to find a solution. I'm trying every day. I have to prove myself now, just like I have always done,
However, Guardiola has received the reinforcements through the January transfer window, and he must be given time to work with the new inclusions and the preferential tactical shiftings.
The Man City management surely has immense trust in Guardiola, and he is most unlikely to bow out of Etihad. Even after the shock Champions League final defeat against Chelsea in 2021, City kept on trusting Pep, resulting in two more Premier League trophies along with the maiden UCL glory.
Guardiola does not have anything else to prove himself as one of the greatest football minds ever born, but he must find the solution to take City out of the darkest phase under his reign.
Although there have been various reports in the past couple of days suggesting that Guardiola will leave his position as Manchester City manager next summer, it will be interesting to see where Man City finishes in the remaining competitions this season in the end, which will direct the courses of events at Etihad.