Pep Guardiola admitted that Manchester City‘s growing struggles have affected his sleep, and their dramatic defeat in the Manchester derby will only add to his frustrations.
Despite taking the lead through Josko Gvardiol’s 36th-minute header, Guardiola appeared agitated and uneasy. He showed little celebration for the goal, which came from a deflected cross rather than the precise play he prefers.
He sat alone, eyes closed, sipping water during halftime, only for his hopes of victory to unravel in a chaotic finale. With just two minutes of normal time remaining, Matheus Nunes lost possession to Amad Diallo and fouled the forward in a desperate recovery attempt. Bruno Fernandes calmly converted the resulting penalty.
City’s misery deepened moments later when Lisandro Martinez’s long ball caught their defense off guard. Goalkeeper Ederson was poorly positioned, allowing Diallo to score from a sharp angle, sealing a stunning late comeback for Manchester United.
This marked the latest point in a Premier League match, at 88 minutes, that the reigning champions had led but ultimately lost. It was also a rare collapse for City under Guardiola, who had previously lost just four of 105 home league games when leading at halftime, with 94 wins and seven draws.
Guardiola delivered a brutal self-analysis as he told Match of the Day: “I am not good enough. I am the boss. I am the manager. I have to find solutions and so far I haven’t. That’s the reality.
“Not much else to say. No defense. Manchester United were incredibly persistent. We have not lost eight games in two seasons. We can’t defend that.”
Pep Guardiola has hinted that a significant overhaul of Manchester City’s squad will likely wait until the summer, but warning signs of decline have been evident for weeks. The team, once exuding an aura of invincibility that intimidated opponents before matches even began, has seen that dominance crumble.
Guardiola has emphasized the need to “survive” this season—a stark recalibration of expectations for a club accustomed to lofty ambitions. Their pursuit of a record fifth consecutive Premier League title now seems implausible, as they sit nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played an additional game. To compound their struggles, their Champions League hopes hang in the balance following another defeat, this time against Juventus in Turin.
City’s core has aged together, and the once-unrelenting hunger for success appears diminished. The team’s superiority has waned, with opponents increasingly sensing vulnerabilities and exploiting them, as Manchester United did in their recent dramatic comeback victory.
While Guardiola has pointed to injuries—most notably to Rodri, John Stones, and others—the sheer drop in City’s standards cannot be entirely attributed to these absences. A newfound fragility has emerged, with their defensive and mental resolve no longer a given.
Rebuilding this squad will be no quick fix. Each underwhelming performance and defeat underscores the magnitude of the task ahead for Guardiola. While City’s financial resources are unmatched, their rivals are also strengthening, making the road to recovery more challenging.
Key players like Kevin De Bruyne, who turns 34 in June, are showing the toll of age and injuries. Substituted after just 68 minutes against United, De Bruyne may not remain at the club beyond this season. Similarly, Kyle Walker, also 34, is being increasingly exposed, with moments like his theatrical fall during a mild clash with Rasmus Højlund highlighting a decline in his performances.
Ilkay Gündoğan, another stalwart at 34, is struggling to maintain the influence that once defined him. His return from Barcelona now appears to have been a season too many.
Elsewhere, previously reliable contributors are underperforming. Phil Foden, last season’s Premier League Player of the Year with 27 goals and 12 assists, has just three goals and two assists in 18 appearances this term. In the league, he has managed no goals and only one assist in 11 games, further emphasizing the alarming drop-off in form across the squad.
For Guardiola, the challenge ahead is monumental, requiring not only tactical adjustments but also a cultural and structural renewal of a team that has defined an era.
Jack Grealish, who came on after 77 minutes against United, has not scored in a year for Manchester City, his last goal coming in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on 16 December last year. He has, in the meantime, scored twice for England.
Erling Haaland is also struggling as City lacks creativity and cutting edge. He has three goals in his past 11 Premier League games after scoring 10 in his first five.
And in another indication of City’s impotence, and their reliance on Haaland, defender Gvardiol’s goal against United was his fourth this season, making him their second second-highest in all competitions behind the Norwegian striker, who has 18.
Goalkeeper Ederson, so reliable for so long, has already been dropped once this season and did not cover himself in glory for United’s winner.
Guardiola, with that freshly signed two-year contract, insists he “wants it” as he treads on this alien territory of failure.
Hewase was under no illusions about the size of the job in front of him as he placed his head in his hands in anguish after yet another damaging and deeply revealing defeat.
City and Guardiola are in new, unforgiving territory.
