What are Manchester City’s prospects for PL season following dramatic slump?

Football Mad -

Defeat by Liverpool was Manchester City’s fourth in succession in the Premier League and left them 11 points behind Arne Slot’s leaders.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what City’s slump means for their prospects.

Mountain to climb

  • 13pts - Arsenal, 1997-98
  • 12 - Man Utd, 1992-93 and 1995-96
  • 10 - Man Utd 1996-97, 2002-03, 2008-09; Man City 2018-19

Only three times have teams come from more than 11 points back to win a Premier League title.

Manchester United overturned 12-point deficits in 1992-93 and 1995-96 while Arsenal were 13 behind United, albeit with a game in hand, after losing to Blackburn in December 1997 but finished top by a point after winning 10 in a row from March to May.

Guardiola has failed to win his league title in only three of his 15 seasons as a manager but is facing the prospect of a fourth.

Slot’s side have a nine-point lead even over nearest rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. Only seven times has a larger margin been overcome – albeit most recently by City to overhaul Liverpool from 10 behind in 2018-19.

New low for Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is facing his worst season as a manager (Peter Byrne/PA)

City’s points per game average this season has fallen from 2.56 to 1.77 during their four-game losing run in the league.

That has them on course for 67 points, which would be their lowest total since 66 in 2015-16 – the season before Guardiola took charge. It would be over 20 points down on their average of 89.5 during his reign.

Guardiola’s lowest ever points total as a manager was 78 in his first season at City, with even his 34-game Bundesliga seasons at Bayern Munich exceeding that mark.

He has never previously lost four consecutive league games and on eight separate occasions has lost fewer than that over a full season.

Quite apart from the title, City’s Champions League qualification could be in doubt. Seven teams have previously finished a Premier League season with 67 points, with five finishing fourth and the other two in fifth.

Widening the scope slightly, 39 teams have finished with between 65 and 69 points, with an average finishing position of 4.3. Should England again end up with four Champions League qualifiers rather than five, City must stop the rot to ensure their presence.