At the Halloween party held for Manchester City players and their families two days before the match against Bournemouth last week, the atmosphere was filled with cinematic style.
A enteredtainment simulated a classic cinema, inside which are walls filled with "disappeared" and "missing" posters with images of Pep Guardiola's students. In the main area, guests - including Ruben Dias dressed as Jack Sparrow - were welcomed on stage with red velvet curtains and a prominent sign with the words:
"Reading: I know what you did last season." This is a humorous way to recreate the poor form of The Citizens last season.
In fact, consecutive injuries and declining performance have turned the 2024-2025 season into a real nightmare for the Manchester team. However, the atmosphere at the party showed that City are trying to show recovery spirit and aim for optimism.
Although Guardiola declined to comment on the team's performance, the current results clearly reflect the instability. They beat Manchester United and Napoli, drew with Arsenal, but also lost to Tottenham, Brighton and Aston Villa.
However, despite their ups and downs in form, Man City are still second in the rankings, ahead of the big match against Liverpool at the Etihad this weekend. This match is considered a big test to determine whether they have truly returned to the championship race, or are still struggling in the process of rebuilding.
To get Man City back on track, Guardiola is taking an unusual approach. Before the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, he canceled his regular training session a day before the match - instead, giving the players a full day off to recover their fitness.
While Dortmund have been given a 4-day break to play Bundesliga against Augsburg before their away trip to the Etihad, Man City still have to play against Bournemouth. This is a match schedule that Guardiola believes is unfair.
Therefore, the move to cancel the training session - specially approved by UEFA - is both a measure to protect players' health and an underlying message to those in charge of the match schedule. Although it is difficult to expect an answer, the results have proven the correctness of this decision. Man City defeated Dortmund 4-1, thereby rising to fourth place in the Champions League rankings.
Outside the pitch, City's squad has also undergone a major change in personnel. Over the past 12 months, they have lost more than 1,500 matches of experience following the departure of Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne. Defender Josko Gvardiol admitted that this change made a clear difference.
"You can feel it. Many players are no longer here, but that is football. Today you are here, tomorrow you may be somewhere else. The important thing is that we are all professional, everyone takes on their role well" - Gvardiol said.
In response to internal fluctuations, Guardiola has increased control of the dressing room more than ever. This summer, for the first time in his coaching career, he personally chose the captain - instead of letting the players vote as usual.
Guardiola believes the lack of unity was part of the reason for the previous failed season. And this decision shows the desire to restore order, strengthen the collective spirit of the team.
seemingly petty details - such as the Halloween party the whole team attended - have great significance for Guardiola. He saw it as part of the process of restoring identity and internal cohesion, which was the foundation for City's brilliant success streak.
For him, solidarity and attitude are no less important factors than strategy or skill. Therefore, Guardiola focuses on body language, attitude in training and competition, considering this a measure of the team's general spirit.
Man City last met Liverpool in February this year - a time when Guardiola's side were in a difficult period. At that time, they had just suffered two defeats against Real Madrid and Arsenal, causing the team's spirit to decline. Guardiola entered the match with a clear sign of tension and anxiety, reflecting the pressure weighing on him.
Nearly 9 months later, the Spanish strategist's mood has not changed much, although City have only lost one of their last 13 matches. However, his stable performance has helped him regain confidence ahead of the upcoming big match.
"To be honest, I'm very excited and happy to be prepared for the weekend match. I look forward to playing this Sunday, against Liverpool, and let's wait and see what happens," Guardiola said after the win over Dortmund.
