The Citizens must make a comeback in the Premier League to prevent the Catalan coach from having the worst season of his career in a competition.
Matchday 19 of the 2024/25 Premier League starts this Sunday with Leicester City hosting Manchester City at the King Power Stadium. Pep Guardiola's team face a crucial challenge to secure all three points, with the aim of ending the year on a high and getting back into contention for European competition places. The title now seems like a distant dream.
A difficult road for the citizens
While Man City have a stronger squad compared to Ruud van Nistelrooy's Foxes, Etihad have struggled in recent times against teams even lower in the table. Evidence of this can be seen in the recent 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace and the 1-1 stalemate against Everton, who are currently 16th and 15th in the Premier League respectively.
The Sky Blues' poor form started in late October with a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Carabao Cup Round of 16. Since then, City have recorded nine defeats, three draws and just one win in all competitions. Their only win during this stretch was a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, but they are now approaching a month without a league win.
Leicester's recent problems
One positive for Guardiola's side is Leicester's poor recent form. The Foxes have lost their last three games – 4-0 to Newcastle, 3-0 to Wolves and 3-1 to Liverpool – leaving them in the relegation zone (18th place). While Leicester face an uphill battle against the team that won the last four Premier League titles, they will look to bounce back with support from home.
Guardiola's mission for 2025
Guardiola faces an unusual situation this season: he has not finished outside the top three for any team in his managerial career. City are currently seventh in the table, but this match offers an excellent opportunity to climb back up the standings.
Guardiola's track record in league matches:
This new year represents a pivotal moment for Guardiola as he looks to maintain his exceptional record and turn things around for Manchester City.
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