Man City’s Champions League Hopes Under Severe Threat Ahead of Guardiola Arrival

Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in Manuel Pellegrini’s final home match in charge proved to be a microcosm of their season—momentary reminders of what they’re capable of at their best, punctuated by some deep, underlying issues that continue to hold them back.

They started aggressively, taking the game to the Gunners, pressing high and hard and producing some quick, inventive passing.

Sergio Aguero scored a superb left-foot volley, his 29th of the season in all competitions, and Arsenal were on the back foot, unable to cope with the pressure. If only they could have played like this all season; Leicester City wouldn’t have been allowed to wrap up the title with two games to spare.

But as has been the case so often this season, they couldn’t maintain their best. Minutes later, they had been pegged back, Olivier Giroud scoring too easily with a header from a corner. Eliaquim Mangala, whose place in the squad is surely up for debate going into next season, came to win the header and was nowhere near it—yet another poor piece of defensive play from this soft-centred City side.

The brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne saw them go back ahead, but again they were opened up too easily as Alexis Sanchez equalised having played a one-two with Giroud.

City’s moments of fine attacking football were undone by a lack of solidity—their season defined by one match. 

The boss watching his best moments in charge of #mcfc…  https://t.co/2hVReYBRyf

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 8, 2016

They failed to get the result they wanted; UEFA Champions League qualification is no longer in their hands.

There’s now a real chance their awful Premier League campaign could finish in ultimate failure, with Pellegrini’s tenure ending in the most disappointing way imaginable. For this side to fail to mount a title challenge is bad enough. No top four? That’s unforgivable.

If Manchester United win their final two matches, at West Ham United and then at home to Bournemouth on the final day of the season, it is they, not City, who will compete in Europe’s elite …

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