Manchester City are bidding for an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title this season. Pep Guardiola’s side has dominated English football over the last few years, however, they are not having things going their own way in the latest campaign.
What a finish! 😳
The points are shared in Manchester 🤝#CPFC | #MCICRY pic.twitter.com/thI6CO4VbV
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 16, 2023
Heading into their trip to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, the defending champions had won just one of their last six matches. They dropped points in a 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace where they threw away a two-goal lead in that game.
City Still Favorites for Title
Although City’s form will concern Guardiola and the club’s supporters, Manchester City remains the +120 favorite in the EPL betting for the title. They showed in the final third of the 2022/23 season that they can have a strong finish to a campaign.
City appears to be in a title race alongside last season’s runners-up Arsenal, former winners Liverpool, and Aston Villa. The latter beat Guardiola’s side 1-0 in November, a result which proved they are the mix for the league championship.
Arsenal have made the best start through the opening 17 games, as they accumulated 39 points in that period, with Liverpool and Aston Villa just behind them with 38 points.
Injuries Have Hurt Guardiola’s Squad
City are fortunate to have one of the biggest squads in the Premier League, however, they have been hit with injuries to key players. Arguably the most impactful has been the one to their skipper Kevin De Bruyne.
Good to see ya, 👑 @KevinDeBruyne! 👀 pic.twitter.com/sXhsjCC3Eu
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 18, 2023
The Belgium international picked up an injury in the opening game of the season against Burnley and he has not featured since. The two-time PFA Player of the Year has been an integral part of City’s midfield over the past few seasons.
As well as providing lots of assists for the forward player in City’s team, De Bruyne has scored some important match-winning goals for his team. He has hit double figures for goals in each of the last four seasons.
Complacency Looks to Have Set In
After winning the treble last season, with success also coming in the Champions League and FA Cup, it was always going to be hard for City’s players to follow that up. It appears some complacency may have kicked in during the months of November and December.
Guardiola may look to freshen up his squad further in January to create more competition for places. He will also demand much more from his players following their return from the Club World Cup.
The challenge of reeling in the Premier League leaders may be what City needs to kick into action in the early stages of 2024. They have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, so they are not having any problems in Europe. Their FA Cup defense will also begin when they take on Huddersfield Town at the Etihad Stadium.
It looks set to be an exciting second half to the Premier League season in England, and despite their indifferent form, City remains well-placed to make history at the end of the campaign.