Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has faced many challenges this season. One of the biggest problems is how his team keeps conceding late goals. Manchester City has let in eight goals in the last 16 minutes of their Champions League matches this season. That is almost half of the total 17 goals they have conceded in the competition. This has happened four times in six games. It has cost them winning positions against some of the biggest teams in Europe. Real Madrid took advantage of this weakness on Tuesday night, just like Sporting, Feyenoord, and PSG did in earlier matches.
It is not just a problem in Europe. Manchester City has also struggled in the Premier League. They collapsed late against Manchester United, a team that has been struggling this season. They also allowed Arsenal to take control in the second half at the Emirates. When the momentum shifts against City, they seem unable to stop the opponent from scoring.
There have been discussions about why this keeps happening. Injuries have affected the team’s confidence. Former captain Ilkay Gundogan has spoken about a mentality problem in the squad. He believes that when City faces a setback, they lose their focus. However, Guardiola does not agree with this idea. After the Real Madrid match, he denied that his team is stuck in a cycle of losing confidence at key moments.
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“I understand why people think that,” Guardiola said. “But at 2-1, nothing was wrong. We were still creating more chances than them. Then, things changed. It is not just about one player. Many things happened. We need to read situations better. Right now, we are not able to do that.”
If it is not a mentality problem, then it must be individual mistakes. If errors keep happening, it is hard to fix them. Some players might not be able to improve. One example is Kyle Walker. At the start of the season, he was the club captain. But he made many mistakes that led to goals. Now, he is on loan at AC Milan. City is expected to sell him permanently in the summer. Some people questioned if City should have kept him for big matches like the one against Real Madrid. But those critics might not have seen how poorly he played earlier this season.
Guardiola has started to show frustration with his players. In recent weeks, he has criticized them for not following his instructions. After the Arsenal game, he was visibly angry. After the Real Madrid defeat, he said the players need to take responsibility for their actions. Guardiola knows that City cannot keep winning trophies if they continue making the same mistakes.
If the problem is not about mentality but about players making poor decisions, then some of them might not have a future at Manchester City. Guardiola has little patience for repeated mistakes. If he loses faith in certain players, he will replace them.
Manchester City has a history of evolving under Guardiola. Every season, some players leave, and new ones arrive. This summer might be another period of big changes. If City wants to stay at the top, they need to fix their defensive problems. Guardiola is a perfectionist. He will not accept these mistakes for long.
In the coming weeks, all eyes will be on City’s performances. If they continue to concede late goals, it will be clear that something must change. Guardiola will have to make big decisions about which players he can trust. For now, the team must focus on improving their concentration and decision-making in the final minutes of matches.
The rest of the season will be crucial. If City keeps making these errors, Guardiola might have to make tough choices about the squad’s future.
