Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are enduring a season far from their usual dominance. Instead of chasing a historic fifth consecutive Premier League title, they are now battling just to secure a Champions League spot.
With six league losses already—twice as many as last season—City finds itself in an unfamiliar fourth-place position heading into February.
Their European campaign has been just as concerning. Sitting 25th out of 36 in the Champions League standings, City faces potential elimination if they fail to beat Club Brugge. Even with a victory, they would still only secure a play-off spot rather than direct qualification.
Guardiola’s growing frustration has reportedly led him to express envy for other teams. According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague on The Sports Agents podcast, Guardiola has privately admitted to at least two Premier League managers—Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola—that he “wishes he had their team.”
Balague claims Guardiola admires the energy and adaptability of squads like Chelsea, Bournemouth, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ironically, despite his praise for Chelsea, City has beaten Maresca’s side twice this season—winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge and 3-1 at the Etihad. However, City suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in November and recently collapsed against PSG, squandering a two-goal lead to lose 4-2.
Looking ahead to their decisive clash against Club Brugge, City defender Josko Gvardiol remains optimistic. “We need to stick together and fight our way out of this,” he said. “Our confidence is good after the last win, and with our fans behind us, we’ll be ready.”
Guardiola echoed this sentiment, calling the upcoming match an opportunity rather than a problem. “We have to win—if not, we’re out. We’ve been in this situation before. We know we haven’t been good enough, but now we have a chance to fix it.”
With Manchester City’s season hanging in the balance, all eyes will be on their response in this make-or-break moment.