When Kevin De Bruyne, James McAtee and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey were brought on by Pep Guardiola, Man City were closer than ever to victory. They raced into a 3-0 lead over Feyenoord and no one expected them to drop points at the Etihad.
Fans at the Etihad Stadium were used to the home team winning if they were 3 goals ahead in the first half. Even in the last 20 minutes, Erling Haaland and his teammates could have scored more goals. However, in just 15 minutes, from 74 to 89, everything seemed like a disaster for The Citizens.
Man City became the first team in the Champions League to lead by three goals in the 75th minute but not win. It was no nightmare, in fact the hosts were held to a 3-3 draw and only held on for a point at home. A sixth straight winless game has given Pep Guardiola's side the worst possible start ahead of their clash with Liverpool this weekend.
There are many reasons to explain Man City's poor run of form. One of the most obvious is the lack of midfield power. Opponents can easily penetrate the Manchester team's midfield and only have to deal with a fragile defense after a storm of injuries.
One of the most trusted players in the defense, Josko Gvardiol, also made mistakes, even a lot. The Croatian center-back made 2 mistakes, directly leading to 2 goals conceded against Tottenham in round 12 of the Premier League. He also made 2 mistakes in 2 goals conceded against Feyenoord.
Only when they were 3 goals back did Man City wake up and put all their strength into attacking. However, the remaining time was too short. It was not enough for Haaland or anyone else to penetrate the visitors' dense defense.
Pep Guardiola's Man City are famous for their possession-based style of play, but they are currently as bad as a mid-table side. Even Arne Slot's Liverpool are now considered masters of ball retention. Not only that, Pep's Man City are now too vulnerable to goals. Rodri's injury and a number of key defenders have left a huge hole. The upcoming transfer window is not enough for Pep to turn things around.
Man City have paid the price for their somewhat subjective transfer policy in the summer. The most notable signing, Savinho, has been virtually absent from the Etihad Stadium team's campaign. The remaining players are versatile but not enough in number to fill the void left by the injured. Just like that, everything is slipping away from their grasp. By the time the team has a full squad back, the gap to the championship in important races may be out of reach.
Man City may be safe in the Premier League's top four for a long time to come, but in the Champions League they are now struggling to keep a foot in the top eight and avoid a play-off to reach the quarter-finals. To do so, they must defeat Juventus, PSG and Club Brugge in turn. With their current form, no one is sure that the former champions can take all 9 points.
Man City will not surrender, neither will Pep, who has agreed to stay for another 2 years to carry out the mission of transferring the team. However, ups and downs, prosperity and decline are inevitable rules for any team. Man City have dominated Europe for many years. Now is the time for them to calm down, take a few steps back to see the wide path ahead, instead of trying to rush into the darkness like now.
