At the Halloween party held for Manchester CityTwo days before facing Bournemouth last Sunday, one of the props the players and their families used to decorate the venue was a cinema-style entrance. Inside, the walls were covered with “wanted” and “missing” posters featuring photos of Pep Guardiola’s squad. At the forefront, including the guest–defender ruben dias Dressed as Jack Sparrow – welcomed by an old-school theater scene with red velvet curtains and a marquee sign.
It read, “Screening now: I know what you did last season,” referencing a slasher film.
Injuries and a steep decline in form have made the 2024-25 campaign a certified nightmare for a team that had won its last four matches Premier League Topic. Players and staff are now able to poke fun at themselves, although it feels like City are still trying to show they have fully recovered from this ordeal.
Guardiola has so far refused to address the question of what his team can achieve this season, and City’s start to the season hasn’t delivered much. there has been victory Manchester United And napoliAnd with a reliable draw armorybut also defeats Tottenham Hotspur, brighton and hove albion And Aston Villa,
Yet, despite their mixed form, City remain second in the table liverpoolVisit to Etihad Stadium on Sunday. This is a game that will reveal whether they are back to being real title contenders or still stuck in the middle of a rebuild.
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Guardiola is doing things differently to get back on track. He took the unusual step of canceling training a day before Champions League tie with borussia dortmund Instead, the players were given a day off on Wednesday. of dortmund Bundesliga The match against Augsburg was moved to last Friday night to give them four days’ rest before visiting the Etihad. City, meanwhile, have been asked to play against Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
Guardiola is doing everything he can to avoid a repeat of the injuries that ruined last season. He said he hoped the move – which had to receive special sign-off from UEFA – would also send “a message to the like-minded people” in charge of fixture scheduling. They’re unlikely to get much help on that front, but the extra rest paid off and City beat Dortmund 4-1 to move up to fourth in the Champions League table.
There have been changes outside the pitch as well. With his departure the team has lost more than 1,500 games of experience in the last 12 months. ederson, kyle walker, ilke gundogan And Kevin De BruyneThis is some keeper josko guardiol Said has been particularly noteworthy.
“You can feel it,” he told ESPN. “A lot of guys, they’re not here with us anymore, but that’s football. One day you’re here, maybe the next day you’re somewhere else and we need to accept that. … It’s normal. [to have changes to the squad] And everyone on our team is completely professional and everyone treats their role, their work as really professional.”
In response, Guardiola has taken greater control of the dressing room. In the summer, they chose their captains after allowing players to vote for themselves for several years. After deciding that a lack of unity had contributed to the previous season’s failures, he elected the leaders himself for the first time in his managerial career.
Things like holding a Halloween party may seem relatively insignificant, but for Guardiola, it is a vital part of rebuilding what was lost last season. He has kept a keen eye on emotion and cohesion within the team, but he also has a focus on other things he believes are important to a functioning team, such as body language in training and in play.
The departure of so many big personalities in a relatively short period of time has given an opportunity to others to come forward to fill the void. Guardiola’s new leadership group is headed by Bernardo SilvaWith the support of Dias, rodri And erling holland,
Bernardo, Dias and Rodri – experienced and aged – were perhaps the obvious choices, but the choice of Haaland was a surprise. But Guardiola has since said that it was probably “the best decision I ever made.” Haaland has set an example on the pitch with 18 goals and improved defensive diligence. Off the pitch, Haaland has grown into his new role. This week, he asked to carry out pre-match media duties before the game against Dortmund. john stones The news conference was to be held until Hollande volunteered.
In addition to the soundbite about the comparison being made Lionel Messi And regarding the possibility of breaking Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal-scoring record, the Norwegian pointed out how much he suffered last season.
“Of course, it’s not good to lose the game,” he said. “Losing a cup final, coming third in the Premier League and going out early in the Champions League is not ideal for this club and we all know we need to do better, be more consistent and perform when it matters.”
City couldn’t do that often last season. Along with the defeat in the FA Cup final crystal Palace Referred to by Haaland, they also lost to Liverpool at home and away. Both games ended 2–0 and Arne Slott’s team advanced to the title.
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Is Man City back in the title race?
Gabe Marcotti discusses Phil Foden’s performance in Man City’s 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund as Pep Guardiola’s side look to regain their form.
Amidst all the changes in the city, there has been one important constant. Guardiola raised doubts about his future last season by signing a contract extension until the summer of 2027. With Guardiola in his 10th season as City manager, questions have been raised about whether he still has the same energy and drive he had when he arrived in 2016.
Guardiol said he had no doubts.
“I think he’s the same as he was in the first season.” croatia International said. “He’s still the one who wants to push us, who wants to train something new or work on some things. That’s what we like to see, because when you see that the manager is full of enthusiasm, full of energy and he’s ready to work, that definitely tells us that and we’re ready to fight too.”
City last played Liverpool in February. This came at the end of a month that had already seen two defeats real Madrid And a heavy 5–1 defeat at Arsenal. Perhaps naturally, Guardiola spoke with a sense of dread before the game.
Fast forward about nine months, and their moods couldn’t have been more different. Of course, it helps that City have lost only one of their last 13 matches. “To be honest, I’m very excited and happy to prepare for the game on Sunday,” Guardiola said after the win over Dortmund. “I’m looking forward to playing against Liverpool again on Sunday and we’ll see what happens.”
It’s another chance for Guardiola and his players to prove that last season’s horror show is firmly behind them.
