Pep Guardiola’s 9 worst defeats at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has presided over the greatest era in Manchester City’s history, winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League and a handful of other domestic and European honours.

However, his era of dominance has looked like coming to an end, with the club going on a poor run of results in recent weeks that could derail their campaign.

One of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest strengths was breaking up a winning – but ageing – side in order to establish future success. It might have meant short-term pain, but the longer-term ambition was there.

Guardiola appears to be struggling in this regard, failing to move on those who look like they have run out of ideas, with the club suffering some heavy defeats in the process this term.

With this in mind, we have delved into some of the Spaniard’s heaviest and most embarrassing defeats since arriving in England in 2016.

9

Monaco 3-1 Man City, March 2017

Mbappe magic dumps City out of Champions League

City won the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Monaco 5-3 and headed to the principality with an excellent chance of continuing their European campaign.

This was a Monaco side boasting youngsters such as Kylian Mbappé and Tiemoue Bakayoko that had scored 123 goals prior to the second leg. Mbappé and Fabinho scored to give the French side a two-goal lead.

Leroy Sané netted in the second half to restore City’s aggregate advantage, but Bakayoko deservedly sent the Ligue 1 outfit through to the quarter-finals.

8

Barcelona 4-0 Man City, October 2016

Messi dominates as Pep’s side floored on return to Barca

A few months into Guardiola’s reign, City had enjoyed a decent start, winning six of their eight Premier League ties, while securing four points from six in the Champions League.

It was the away clash against Barcelona which would be Guardiola’s first true test, but his side crumbled under the pressure.

Lionel Messi, so often Guardiola’s saviour between 2008 and 2012, turned tormentor on this October evening.

The Argentinian gem scored a hat trick to put Barcelona 3-0 up before Neymar added a fourth with just a few minutes of the game left, ensuring the Spanish boss left his homeland with his tail between his legs.

7

Man City 2-5 Leicester, September 2020

City crumble as five-star Foxes thrash Guardiola

Since his first match in charge of Barcelona in 2008, Guardiola’s team had never conceded five goals in a single match.

However, against Leicester City in the third game of the 2020/21 season, that incredible record was smashed as the Foxes managed to score five goals at the Etihad.

Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring for the home side after just four minutes, indicating a straightforward victory was in motion, yet Leicester scored four times over the next 70 minutes to storm into a 4-1 lead, with Jamie Vardy securing the match ball with his second penalty of the day.

City did score a second, but Youri Tielemans scored a coveted fifth with a few minutes left. Following a poor start, City started to click towards the end of 2020 and claimed their third league title under Pep.

6

Liverpool 3-0 Man City, April 2018

Rampant Reds storm into first-leg Champions League lead

The League Cup had already been won while the league title was practically sewn up ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool at Anfield.

Almost surprisingly, Pep hadn’t won the competition since leaving Barcelona, failing to reach the final during his spell at Bayern Munich, while City crashed out to Monaco the year before.

The Reds had defeated City 4-3 earlier in the season and they dominated proceedings during the first half, scoring three goals in a frantic 31-minute blitz to take control of the tie.

Jürgen Klopp had turned into Guardiola’s nemesis during his time in Bavaria, and the German outmanoeuvred him yet again in the second leg as Liverpool marched to the final. City would have to wait a little while longer to taste success in the competition.

5

Sporting 4-1 Man City, November 2024

City humbled in Europe as Gyokeres stars

Heading into the clash against Sporting CP, City had suffered defeats to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup, before losing 2-1 to Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Not since April 2018 had the club lost three games in a row, but departing Sporting manager Ruben Amorim gave the Manchester United fans something to cheer about.

Phil Foden opened the scoring, yet a Viktor Gyokeres hat-trick and a late strike by Maximiliano Araújo secured a famous Champions League win for the Portuguese outfit.

Things were only going to get worse for City over the next few weeks, with Guardiola about to suffer arguably the most damaging defeat of his eight-year tenure.

4

Wigan 1-0 Man City, February 2018

Will Grigg strike upsets would-be champions

Guardiola’s second season was looking much more promising than his first. In February, City were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League after winning all but four of their 27 games, while they had sealed their place in the EFL Cup final against Arsenal.

Before then, the Etihad side had an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wigan Athletic to negotiate. On the surface, it looked like a straightforward victory for the team, but it turned into a nightmare.

The League One side ended Guardiola’s chances of winning the quadruple as Will Grigg struck with just over ten minutes remaining, taking advantage of the fact City were down to ten men after Fabian Delph was sent off.

Five years previously, the Latics had defeated City in the FA Cup final by the same scoreline and lightning struck twice that evening. City ended up winning the Premier League and League Cup, so it wasn’t a bad campaign in the end.

3

Norwich 3-2 Man City, September 2019

Champions humbled by new boys Norwich

2018/19 had been an excellent season, with the Spaniard leading the club to a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup – the first time a domestic treble had been achieved by an English side.

In a bid to win their third league crown in succession, City won three and drew one of their first four matches, and a trip to Carrow Road to take on newly promoted Norwich City wasn’t expected to be a problem.

Goals from Kenny McLean and Todd Cantwell had the Canaries two goals up against the defending champions and in dreamland.

Sergio Agüero reduced the deficit, and it looked like they would kick on and at least secure a point, but Norwich netted a third through Teemu Pukki to record a historic win, and was certainly one of Guardiola’s most embarrassing ones at the helm.

2

Everton 4-0 Man City, January 2017

Guardiola treated to Goodison trouncing in first season

Prior to the away clash against Everton, City had lost four times in the top flight throughout the first half of the 2016/17 season, but never by more than two goals.

It was clear Guardiola was still getting to grips with English football, and the Toffees delivered a harsh lesson to his team.

The Goodison Park side scored four goals against a shellshocked City side, who didn’t quite know what had hit them in a chastising defeat.

Over the remaining 17 league games, City lost just once as it looked like the Spaniard learned what had gone wrong against Everton, and it proved to be a watershed moment, as the club won the next two domestic titles.

1

Man City 0-4 Tottenham, November 2024

Pep hits new low as bogey side Spurs run riot

Still reeling from the defeat to Sporting, another defeat arrived just four days as Brighton took all three points against City, who lost more ground on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

A clash against Spurs represented a chance to get back to winning ways, especially considering the north Londoners’ Jekyll-and-Hyde form under Ange Postecoglou this season.

The away side took plenty of confidence into the game after their win against the same opposition just a few weeks earlier, and they scored the opener after just 13 minutes, with James Maddison netting the first goal of the evening.

Seven minutes later, the Englishman was at it again, dinking a neat finish over Ederson to open up a two-goal advantage for Spurs as they took full control of the game.

Former City player Pedro Porro scored the third as he unleashed a strike into the top corner, and it looked like City were dead and buried.

Spurs weren’t finished there, as Timo Werner raced past Kyle Walker before laying the ball off to Brennan Johnson, who duly scored their fourth goal of an incredible game.

This 4-0 defeat is Guardiola’s heaviest home loss, while it was City’s fifth in a row. You have to go all the way back to 2006, when the club was managed by Stuart Pearce, for the last time they lost five competitive matches consecutively.

Despite this dreadful run of form, the Spaniard has signed a new two-year extension at the club as he looks to win more silverware.