The End of an Era for Manchester City?
Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat at the iconic Bernabeu Stadium may have felt like the closing chapter of a significant era for Manchester City, but the signs had been evident much earlier in the season. Manager Pep Guardiola recognized this shift, understanding that the current squad had peaked and was now in a gradual decline. His acknowledgment of this reality was underscored by his decision to invest over £170 million in four promising young talents during the January transfer window, signaling the beginning of his quest to construct what he hopes will be his third exceptional team at City. This painful exit from the Champions League—City’s earliest since the 2012-13 season—serves as a stark reminder that the rebuilding process should have commenced much sooner.
A prevalent belief prior to Guardiola’s contract renewal was that this would be his final season, leading to the retention of an aging squad in the hopes of achieving one last great feat. Despite an impressive 13-game unbeaten streak to kick off the campaign, the optimism proved to be unfounded as the subsequent 13 matches yielded only a solitary victory alongside nine crushing defeats. City barely qualified for the knockout stages, finishing a disappointing 22nd out of 36 clubs in the revamped group stage, just a point above Celtic.
Had City managed a miraculous win in Madrid, even if it came down to penalties, this group of players might have been able to carry on. However, Kylian Mbappe‘s stunning hat-trick for a dominant Real Madrid ensured that reality struck hard. Historically, City has faced Real Madrid before, but this match saw them thoroughly outclassed. Los Blancos found the back of the net within the first four minutes and extended their lead to 3-0 by the 61st minute, comfortably resting key players afterward.
Facing the daunting task of overturning a 3-2 deficit against a Real Madrid side that has triumphed in 39 out of 41 instances when leading from an away win in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie was always going to be a monumental challenge for City, especially in the absence of injured Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The situation worsened without the presence of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom were sidelined, with John Stones exiting the match after just five minutes. Haaland, who had netted 27 goals across 34 matches in the Premier League and Champions League up to that point, was only fit for the bench after injuring his knee in a recent 4-0 victory over Newcastle, claiming he struggled even to navigate stairs.
Injuries have plagued numerous teams this season, particularly in north London. Yet, while Tottenham Hotspur have received little sympathy for their struggles, Arsenal’s current striker crisis is perceived more as a failure of their transfer strategy rather than mere bad luck. City, however, was exposed as lacking a contingency plan for a Rodri injury, resulting in no sympathy from rivals as they watched Real Madrid dominate possession and control the game.
City’s midfield was unable to withstand the relentless pressure from their opponents, managing little to no threat against Real’s defense until the tie was effectively over. The necessary infusion of youth into the squad, with a hefty January expenditure of £172.2 million, included the arrivals of Nico Gonzalez (23), Abdukodir Khuzanov (20), and Omar Marmoush (26). Although these players had shown promise in their previous matches—Marmoush even scoring a hat-trick and Gonzalez stepping in admirably for Rodri—it became evident that they were outmatched in Madrid.
Guardiola conceded after the match that City has indeed reached the end of a significant cycle. “A little bit, yes. We’ve already started to [replace players]. It is normal. Nothing lasts forever, and there are players in the group who have defined an era,” he stated. “We cannot deny what this group of players has accomplished, winning six Premier League titles in seven years in such a competitive environment, and consistently reaching the latter stages of European competition. It speaks volumes.” He further reflected on their performance against Madrid this year, acknowledging that they faced the “best Madrid” and lamenting their disappointing showing, stating, “This has been our worst year in the competition.” With verdicts on City’s alleged financial breaches expected next month, Guardiola can only hope that the situation does not deteriorate further before it has a chance to improve.
