Manchester City’s miserable run continued at the weekend as they were beaten at Aston Villa.
It was a ninth defeat in 12 games in all competitions and they sit seventh in the Premier League at Christmas, a remarkable slump for the champions of the past four seasons.
Here, the PA news agency looks at what comes next for Pep Guardiola’s side and how they can turn the situation around.
Kinder fixtures
City may find some comfort in that their upcoming fixtures are not ones they would usually dread. Their next five opponents in the Premier League – Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Brentford and Ipswich – are all in the bottom half and an opportunity exists to build some confidence. Rivals, however, will no doubt have noted how Villa exposed their frailties and exploited their shattered confidence. Everton particularly, having frustrated Chelsea in their last outing, may be fancying their chances at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.
Other competitions
While an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title now looks beyond them, City do still have the quality and know-how to claim silverware this season with a strong showing in the second half of the campaign. They may also be toiling in the Champions League, but one more win from their remaining two league phase fixtures should be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages, from where anything is possible. Local noise aside, they also have a gentle introduction to the FA Cup with a home third-round tie against League Two Salford.
Injuries
While there have been a number of factors behind City’s slump, it is clear injuries have played a major part and Guardiola, whose frustration on the touchline has been abundantly clear, has certainly been unlucky in this respect. Losing midfield linchpin Rodri for the season has been a monumental blow, while there has been a lack of solidity at the back with defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all having fitness issues. This in turn has put extra burden on other players. While there is no prospect of Rodri returning soon, a clearing up of other problems would help and City will feel a change of fortune on this front is overdue.
Transfers
Another way of looking at the injury list, however, is that this season’s problems actually highlight how lucky City have been in the past. Guardiola prefers to work with a small squad and, while this quality over quantity approach has worked incredibly well, the team were maybe only a few serious injuries away from having major problems. The quick-fix solution would be to dip into the transfer market in the January. Guardiola has said he is “not a big fan” of the mid-season window, and City rarely make use of it, but has conceded “the circumstances have been special” this time.
Intensity lift
A new player or two, as well as bolstering numbers, could help lift the intensity. After several years of high performance, it was perhaps only natural there would be a drop in levels at some point. Numerous players have fallen well below the standards they have set in the past. While age could be catching up with some, others may just benefit from a reduction in workload. A well-judged signing, even if only a stop-gap, could help change the dynamic.
