TNT Sports pundit Chris Sutton believes Manchester City’s slump in form “has been coming” for several weeks.
Despite maintaining their unbeaten record in all competitions until the defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last week, Sutton said he had seen worrying signs prior to that loss:
“I think watching City at the start of the season, they were off to a flyer, but this has been coming. Fulham pushed them close, Wolves pushed them close, John Stones’ header at the end, they were lethargic against Southampton. Spurs beat them at the weekend [sic]. It has been coming.”
Following the 4-1 reverse against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Guardiola’s men have now lost three games in a row.
Why are City playing so poorly?
Guardiola has likened the fixture list to the NBA and it has been suggested that City are simply not able to cope with the packed schedule
However, Sutton doesn’t think that is a “fair excuse”, citing the fact that the Premier League champions have not used their maximum complement of five substitutes in recent matches.
It could be argued that Guardiola’s decision not to use his bench is down to a lack of options. He did have a pretty strong list of subs against Sporting, but many of them (including Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Kyle Walker) have had recent fitness issues.
What are the team’s prospects of winning the title?
The bookmakers have kept the Cityzens as favourites to win the Premier League. However, their odds have started to lengthen, with most bookies pricing them at around 6/4.
Current leaders Liverpool have seen their odds shorten to just 7/4 while Arsenal are currently a distant third in the running, with some pricing them at 7/2.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
