Manchester City aim to rediscover their magic under Pep Guardiola

It was only last week that Manchester City announced a two-year extension of manager Pep Guardiola’s contract.

Looking at his previous managerial stints at the likes of European giants such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he has only stayed around for a maximum of three to four years before leaving for pastures new. Therefore, this was an announcement that came as a shock to many City fans and fellow football fans around the country, who were expecting the Catalan to depart when his previous contract expired at the end of this 2020 – 2021 season.

Guardiola knows more than anyone that the performances of late are simply below par, and have been for the past year or so. The start of this season has been no different to the last, with old cracks starting to reappear. City often have a large share of possession in matches and an abundance of chances, however in recent months the goals have dried up with City often being wasteful in front of goal.

Combine these issues with a leaky defence and this doesn’t equate to a good mix, with the recent game against Spurs highlighting these issues. During the game, Guardiola’s men had a share of 66% possession while also having 22 attempts on goal in comparison to Spurs’ four. Despite of this, City lost the game 2-0 which played out almost identically to the same fixture last season just ten months ago at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where City suffered the same result.

It was not very long ago since the days when if Manchester City lost a game of football it would be a shock, a freak of nature, however nowadays it is happening a lot more often and is something Pep must address. During the peak years under Guardiola where City achieved 198 points in back-to-back seasons of 17/18 and 18/19, they only lost six games in the league throughout both campaigns.

The absence of key talisman Sergio Agüero hasn’t helped the cause, with City often relying on his goals to drive them forward to victories as we’ve seen so many times over recent years. This along with the departure of club legend David Silva, and the ever ageing midfield anchorman that is Fernandinho winding down his City career, this current period could be seen as a potential transitional phase for the blue half of Manchester.

Even though it would seem City are on the decline after a splendid spell at the pinnacle of the English game, the news of a Guardiola contract extension was music to the ears of most City fans, as they know what this man is capable of, and the levels of football he has reached in previous seasons.

When he first arrived, the club needed a big overhaul with his main problem being an ageing squad. The signings he made prior to the 17/18 season were exactly what was required to take Manchester City back to the very top, which coincidentally led to City’s best season yet – the Centurions.

So the question on everyone’s lips is that he’s done it once before, so why not again?

“We have a feeling there is still unfinished business,” Guardiola said, after signing a contract extension until the end of the 2022-23 season.

His decision to extend his tenure at the Etihad really emphasises the enjoyment he’s had so far during his time in Manchester, while also expressing to the City hierarchy that his desire to win trophies is a strong as the day he took the job on, back in 2016.

Hearing Guardiola speak in such a manner is something that Manchester City fans can get excited about, considering he is one of the most decorated managers in footballing history, winning a total of 30 major honours so far in his illustrious career, eight of which have been at Manchester City –and he’s ready to fight for more.