Under Pep Guardiola, City entered the year as favorites on all fronts, but finished it empty-handed, suffering high-profile defeats in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. The abrupt collapse has left fans and pundits questioning whether the Guardiola era is entering its final act.

Champions League and Premier League Collapse

Manchester City’s Champions League campaign began with optimism but quickly descended into disappointment. After an unconvincing group stage, City faced Real Madrid in the playoff round and were comprehensively beaten 6-3 on aggregate.

Losses to Sporting Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain in the group phase only highlighted the lack of consistency that dogged City all year. Guardiola, who has made the Champions League a top priority since arriving in Manchester, admitted that the early exit was “painful and unacceptable for a club of our ambitions.”

Key injuries to Rodri, John Stones, and Phil Foden exposed the squad’s lack of depth, and new signings failed to make an immediate impact. By season’s end, City finished a distant third, 17 points behind champions Liverpool. Guardiola’s post-season comments reflected a sense of regret: “Perhaps we should have done more in the transfer market, but we believed in this group. This year, it wasn’t enough.”

FA Cup Final Heartbreak and Club World Cup Disaster

The FA Cup had often been a reliable source of silverware for Guardiola’s City, but this season even that eluded them. City reached the final at Wembley, only to be undone by a spirited Crystal Palace side. Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal proved decisive, and Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a string of saves, including a crucial penalty stop from Erling Haaland.

The final blow came at the FIFA Club World Cup, where City were expected to assert their global dominance. Instead, they suffered a stunning 4-3 extra-time defeat to Saudi champions Al Hilal in the Round of 16.

Despite taking an early lead through Bernardo Silva, City conceded three second-half goals and, after briefly leveling the match, were undone by Marcos Leonardo’s winner in the 112th minute.

The loss not only ended City’s hopes of adding a new trophy to their cabinet but also exposed the defensive frailties and lack of composure that had plagued them all season. The result was described by The Guardian as “the lowest point of Guardiola’s reign.”

As the club looks to regroup, the focus will be on whether Guardiola can inspire another resurgence—or if this season marks the beginning of the end for one of football’s most successful modern dynasties.