Manchester City have returned to the Premier League title race - a scenario that was almost unimaginable at this time last year, when they fell into a serious downturn. Last season, Man City's title defense campaign almost broke up in December. So what has changed?
Although 2024 was not Man City's best time - especially in the end of the season - they really made a breakthrough in 2025. Pep Guardiola's side have won the most Premier League games in the calendar year (19), averaging 2.07 points per game, higher than both Arsenal and Liverpool, and scoring the most goals (63).
Of course, the title is not counted in a calendar year, but it is important that Man City have rebuilt stability regularly since overcoming one of the worst down periods a defending champions have ever experienced. They almost pulled themselves to the bottom before recovering. And that feeling is now clearly shared by defending champions Liverpool.
Guardiola needs time to recover. He had clear "scars" from the team's collapse and repeatedly blamed himself in the press conference room: "I'm not good enough." Those words sound a bit empty compared to what he has done for many years, but also reveal a missing piece. "The club need those failures," Guardiola later admitted.
complacency has been eliminated, giving way to a cold and calculating strategy to return to the top. And so far, that strategy is working.
If last season was a battle to survive, this season is designed as a journey to rebuild.
In the darkest period, very few opponents were really afraid of The Citizens. For the first time, coaches no longer feel worried as they prepare to face Guardiola. The Citizens were defeated by Ange Postecoglou's Bournemouth, Brighton and Tottenham for three consecutive weeks.
Even Arsenal - a team that was often cautious under Mikel Arteta - scored 5 goals against them in a daring performance in February.
But gradually, Guardiola's authority comes to the fore. He even joked at press conferences that he was a " genie". His confident performances, in complete contrast to his previous "not good enough" image, are proving his management power and tactical vision.
Former defender Gary Neville commented in a recent podcast: "Arsenal are the better team, but Man City are a club with a coach I don't want to follow closely behind."
City's home form shows their formidable collective strength. No team has won more points at home this season than Man City (15). And no team has scored more goals than them (16).
So is all of this enough to create a sustainable championship race? Man City are definitely in the race. They will meet Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in turn in the next 5 matches. With Arsenal's current position as their closest chasing opponent, 4 points behind, this gap could be narrowed.
The scars from the shocking collapse last season are fading away. That doesn't make Man City an invincible side, as has been proven, but it puts them back in the title race - something unimaginable at the same time last year.
