Manchester City’s stunning collapse against Feyenoord on Tuesday night left Pep Guardiola visibly frustrated, with his post-match appearance bearing evidence of the toll—a scratched forehead and a cut on his nose.
It was a night to forget for Guardiola, as for the first time in his career, his team failed to secure victory after leading by three goals.
The result extends City’s winless streak to six games, during which they have conceded at least two goals in every match—an unwanted record last seen in May 1963. Despite their knack for breaking records, this is one Guardiola will want to erase quickly.
The pressure intensifies as City have just four days to recover before a pivotal Premier League clash against Liverpool. A defeat could see them fall 11 points behind Arne Slot’s side, potentially ending their title hopes before the season reaches its halfway point. Guardiola faces urgent decisions to reverse City’s fortunes.
Filling the gap left by Rodri’s season-ending injury remains Guardiola’s biggest conundrum. Ilkay Gundogan has been deployed as a deep-lying midfielder in Rodri’s absence, but his lack of physical presence and waning mobility have left City exposed on the counterattack.
Manuel Akanji, a natural centre-back, could be the answer. The Swiss defender filled a similar role alongside Rodri in several matches last season and impressed. Although he hasn’t featured in midfield since a 3-3 draw with Tottenham last December, his physicality and defensive instincts make him a strong candidate to stabilize City’s spine.
While John Stones offers another option, his recurring injury issues make it a gamble to deploy him in such a demanding role.
Kyle Walker, a mainstay of Guardiola’s City, has shown signs of decline in recent performances. Bournemouth repeatedly targeted his right flank in their recent 2-1 victory, with Evanlison’s winning goal stemming from Walker’s failure to recover and block a crucial cross.
Against Tottenham, Walker was outpaced by Timo Werner, who set up Brennan Johnson for Spurs’ fourth goal. At 34, Walker’s defensive reliability is starting to waver.
Guardiola has rested his captain in City’s last two Champions League outings, but a longer break may be needed. Rico Lewis, who impressed earlier in the season, could be reintroduced to the starting lineup, providing youthful energy and pace.
Reignite the Attack
While Erling Haaland netted twice midweek, the Norwegian striker has struggled for consistency, scoring just twice in his last seven Premier League games despite generating 8.03 xG during that stretch.
With limited options upfront after the summer departures of Julian Alvarez and Liam Delap, Guardiola must tweak his system to maximize Haaland’s impact.
One approach could involve reconfiguring City’s front line, relying on wide players like Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and Phil Foden to stretch defenses. This would shift creative responsibility to the wingers, who have underwhelmed this season with just one league goal among them. Greater width and service from these players could create more scoring opportunities for Haaland, who thrived on cutbacks and through balls from wide positions in his first two campaigns at City.
Guardiola faces a critical juncture. His adjustments in the coming days could define the season. With Liverpool looming, he must find solutions quickly or risk seeing City’s aspirations slip away before the festive period.