Five Shocking Stats Highlighting Manchester City’s Crisis | OneFootball

Manchester City's crisis is getting worse and worse with each passing fixture.

Over the last two months. the defending English champions went from trailing Liverpool atop the Premier League standings to seventh place on Boxing Day. Manchester City now have less points (28) than Bournemouth and Newcastle United (29), a sight that would have seemed impossible under Pep Guardiola.

City's days of dominating the Premier League look to be over, though. In their last nine EPL matches, the Citizens have managed just one victory and suffered defeats to Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Guardiola's men also only walked away with one point against Crystal Palace and Everton.

Check out five alarming statistics that tell the story of City's poor run of form.

Five Shocking Stats Highlighting Manchester City’s Crisis

1. City Have Earned Five Points in the Premier League Since Nov. 1

Pep Guardiola has yet to find a solution for City's poor form. / IMAGO/Buzzi

If the Premier League kicked off in November and ended in December, Guardiola's side would be relegated. City have collected just five points in the last two months, and three came from their sole win against Nottingham Forest.

Not only are City dropping points at a rapid rate, but they are doing so in shocking fashion. City conceded two late goals to Brighton in the span of five minutes to lose 2–1. Tottenham fired four past City at the Etihad just one week after Spurs lost to Ipswich Town. United scored two goals in two minutes to steal a victory in the dying moments of the Manchester derby.

City are collapsing on the pitch and their poor run of form is reflected in the Premier League standings.

2. City Have Conceded 28 Goals in Their Last 13 Games

Kyle Walker's poor form is part of City's downfall. / IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

A glaring issue for City over the last two months is their leaky defense. The defending English champions have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 matches across all competitions. Even worse, they have conceded 28 goals.

City's injury crisis is the reason for some of their defensive struggles, but Kyle Walker must also share the blame. The England international has no pace, lacks accuracy and loses more duels than he wins. Opposing teams are attacking the 34-year-old and finding plenty of success.

Combined with Ederson committing blunder after blunder between the posts and Stefan Ortega thrown behind a poor backline, City are vulnerable like never before in their own penalty area.

3. City's Have Gone 7W-4D-9L Since Rodri's ACL Injury

Rodri is out for the season with a torn ACL. / IMAGO/David Blunsden

City are not the same team without Rodri on the pitch. The Spaniard tore his ACL in September and is out for the entire season, leaving City with a Ballon d'Or-sized hole in the midfield.

In the 2023–24 Premier League season, City did not lose a single game in which Rodri played. The club went 27-7-0 with the 28-year-old in the middle of the park and 1-0-3 without. This season, City have gone 7W-4D-9L across all competitions since Rodri's injury.

The Euro 2024 winner is the best in the world at his position and City have yet to figure out how to consistently win in his absence. İlkay Gündoğan and Mateo Kovačić simply cannot reproduce the defensive prowess and the attacking vision of Rodri.

4. Erling Haaland Has Scored Three Goals in City's Last 13 EPL Matches

Erling Haaland missed a penalty against Everton. / IMAGO/Sportimage

Erling Haaland got off to a flying start in the 2024–25 season, scoring 10 goals in City's first five Premier League matches. Since City 2–2 draw with Arsenal, though, the striker has scored just three goals in his next 13 EPL appearances.

Not only is Haaland not finding the back of the net, but he is also barely getting involved in the attack. In City's 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa, the Norway international managed just one touch in the opponent's penalty area in the second half. In the Manchester derby, Haaland had the least touches (21) of any outfield player to play 90 minutes.

Taking Haaland out of the game turns City's attack into a one-dimensional threat that teams can prepare and counter. Plus, it does not help when Haaland is even missing from the spot, like he did against Everton.

5. Jack Grealish Has Gone 375 Days Without a Goal for City

Jack Grealish is struggling to produce for City. / IMAGO/Mark Cosgrove/News Images

With Haaland struggling to find the back of the net, City need another player to step up and carry the goalscoring burden. Yet the team's second leading goalscorer in the Premier League this season is Joško Gvardiol.

Jack Grealish, meanwhile, last scored for City against Crystal Palace on Dec. 16, 2023. The England international has gone a full year without a single goal for the Citizens and looks no closer to getting on the scoresheet anytime soon. A player with a price tag of a reported $138 million needs to contribute more than one goal in 375 days.

It does not help that City's other attackers are also failing to convert. Savinho went from recording nine goals and 10 assists in La Liga last season to scoring zero goals in 23 appearances for City.