Manchester City ‘s struggles parallel to Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy

Manchester City’s inability to secure victories against fellow top-six opponents in the Premier League has raised eyebrows.

The Cityzens has played a total of six matches against fellow top guns, picking up just one win, which came in the form of a 3-0 victory against their city rival Manchester United, a team that struggled for stability and consistency at the time.

Despite this apparent setback, Pep Guardiola’s side find themselves firmly in contention for the league title, sparking comparisons to the legendary reign of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

How Manchester City fared against top-six rivals

Manchester City’s performances against top-six rivals have been a major concern for the club this season. As a team known for their dominance in this kind of fixtures, their struggles against top six fellow have been unexpected.

They kicked off their campaign with the English football curtain raiser in Wembley with the Community Shield clash with Arsenal, a team that had not tasted a league win against them since the appointment of Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City, who had won a treble in the 2022-23 were looking to make it four titles by beating Arsenal, in a fixture they very well dominated last season, which earned them the edge in the Premier League title race.

Surrendered invincible run against Arsenal

Unfortunately, Manchester City lost the Community Shield game on penalties and even went on to surrender their invincible league run against the Gunners, falling to a Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike in the Emirates in October.

That defeat ended a run of 15 unbeten against Arsenal, whose last Premier League win in the fixture came in December 2015 under Arsene Wenger and before the appointment of Pep Guardiola, as Manuel Pellegrini was in charge of the Cityzens.

Could not better Chelsea over two legs

Their inability to beat a struggling Chelsea in their two meetings this season highlighted vulnerabilities in their game, particularly in breaking down resilient defenses and capitalizing on crucial moments.

Though they scored five goals in the two games against Mauricio Pochettino’s minions, they squandered a lot of promising opportunities and conceded as many goals they scored.

They failed to beat Liverpool in the Ethiad, and were also held in a 3-3 draw at home by Tottenham Hotspur, though the latter is always a fixture that causes them a lot of troubles.

However, amidst these setbacks, Manchester City’s resilience and ability to remain in the title race evoke memories of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Manchester United.

Paralleling Sir Alex Ferguson Legacy

Legendary boss Sir. Alex Ferguson spent 26 seasons at City’s city rivals Manchester United, a record most by a manager at a single English club in top-flight history.

The Scottish is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in football history, and in his time, won 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United, including one in his final season before retirement.

Ferguson often faced similar challenges during his tenure. There were seasons where United struggled against top-six opponents, mostly in his final years as the club’s manager, yet they managed to overcome these hurdles and clinch the title through sheer determination and ability to win games against teams outside the top-six.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s winning percentage also dropped in the latter stage of his reign at Manchester United and Pep Guardiola appears to be taking the same graphical curve when it comes to fellow top-six opponents.

Like Ferguson’s United, Manchester City possesses a squad brimming with talent and depth in all areas of the pitch. Pep Guardiola’s tactical acumen and ability to adapt to different situations have been instrumental in keeping his team in the title race despite the setbacks against top-six rivals.

The resilience shown by City in bouncing back from defeats and grinding out results in other matches mirrors the mentality instilled by Ferguson in his United teams.

Furthermore, the unpredictability of the Premier League adds another layer of excitement to Manchester City’s pursuit of the title. Just as Ferguson’s United faced stiff competition from rival clubs, Guardiola’s City has also learn to nagivate through the fierce competition.

As at now, Manchester City is placed third, and with a game in hand, though a win will only see them leapfrog Arsenal to second but still trail Liverpool by one point.

The race for the title is far from over, and City’s ability to learn from their mistakes and evolve as the season progresses has always been the hallmark since the arrival of Pep Guardiola.

However, their inability to beat top-six opponents is appearing to be reminiscent of the blemish that ensued but did not define Ferguson’s era at Manchester United.

Could it also be a sign that Pep Guardiola’s time at Manchester City is coming to an end ? Maybe. Just maybe.

Hassan Afolabi