It has become an annual event to overreact to Manchester City’s typical slow starts to a new season. The Premier League champions began their season with 6 wins. But 3 losses in their past 4 games in all competitions have taken the gloss off of the flying start made by Pep Guardiola’s side.
It isn’t new territory for the talk of Manchester City being in crisis to surface at the start of a new season. After consecutive defeats in the Premier League, they currently sit 3rd in the Premier League after 8 games. They’re only 2 points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur. It’s hardly a crisis for Pep Guardiola’s side.
City tends to begin each season slowly. In each of their previous three Premier League title-winning campaigns City have dropped points early. To begin the 2020/21 season they dropped 7 points in their opening 5 games. In 21/22 5 points were dropped by Guardiola’s side in their first 5 games. During last season’s treble-winning season, 4 points were dropped by City in their opening 6 games. This season has continued in the same vein. City have dropped 6 points in the opening 8 games this time around.
With new signings needing time to adjust to adapt to Guardiola’s demands it’s not a surprise the treble winners have begun the season slowly. Injuries and suspensions have also been a factor. Rodri and De Bruyne’s absence has been felt in Manchester City’s defeats.
As the European champions have shown they are capable of overcoming a slow start to the season. Pep Guardiola’s side generally doesn’t play their best football until the second half of the season. If that happens again then the discussion of a crisis at Manchester City will shift to how the Premier League is dominated by one team again.
