'The writing is on the wall for City'
[BBC] [Getty Images] A popular mantra preached in life is to always look forward and never look back. Try telling that to a Manchester City fan who watched the dramatic 3-3 thriller that played out at Hill Dickinson stadium on Monday evening. The 13 minutes of madness that played out during a frantic second half was typical of the 2026 side of City's season and displayed why Pep Guardiola's side are now highly unlikely to be lifting the Premier League trophy come May.
In truth, 12 points dropped from winning positions just isn't champion behaviour. When people have insisted "City have the momentum" and "the experience of a title run-in", I've always insisted the club does. The manager does.
But this current Guardiola squad doesn't – and that's a crucial distinction. They've tasted what it feels like to be a winner at the League Cup final. Lifting silverware can really set an appetite and desire for more.
It's one thing winning a one-off final, it's another to develop the mentality to lock in and produce the consistency required to win the ultimate prize come May. It requires resilience, enormous mental strength, belief, spirit and, most importantly, to be the best. That comes with time – one thing City have almost run out of.
Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland have won it all at the club, but Ruben Dias and Rodri are proving to be big misses right now; their leadership, their control. Certain players, more inexperienced with the pressures involved with a title run-in, look nervous and vulnerable. But this is a huge learning curve for them – football can be brutal and unforgiving, but also the most rewarding sport in the world.