Guardiola to stay: A boost for City, a blow for rivals

While Manchester City are undoubtedly enduring one of their toughest spells under Pep Guardiola, reports that the Spaniard plans to extend his stay at the club will be music to the ears of Cityzens everywhere.

For fans of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, however, it’s a tune they’d rather not hear.

Although they’d never admit it publicly, Mikel Arteta, Arne Slot and Rúben Amorim would have secretly hoped the 53-year-old would call it a day following nine trophy-laden seasons at the end of this campaign.

For them, Guardiola’s departure would signal a glimmer of hope in a league he has dominated like no other.

In his first eight seasons at the Etihad, Guardiola's City amassed a staggering 716 points from 304 Premier League games - 59 more than their closest rivals, Liverpool and 149 more than Arsenal.

During that spell, City claimed six Premier League titles and shattered records along the way.

The blue side of Manchester scored an astonishing 755 goals in 304 league matches and surpassed the 90-point mark in four different seasons - a benchmark of excellence that had only been achieved five times before his arrival, one of those in a 42-game campaign.

Guardiola’s centurion season in 2017/18, with a record 100 points, set a new standard that may never be matched.

While all that success has made him a City legend, his tenure has been about more than just collecting trophies; it’s been a revolution that reshaped the way the beautiful game is played in England.

His philosophy of possession-based play has influenced the game at every level, from the Premier League to the local Sunday League pitch.

Just as his Barcelona team did, his City side have mastered the art of control, playing the ball between each other in the tightest of spaces to build attacks methodically from the back, dismantling the press by exploiting pockets of space.

He has also been nothing short of a maverick in how he sets up his teams. Traditional formations and positions are a thing of the past.

He redefined the role of the full-back, introducing the concept of the inverted full-back - players who drift into central spaces during possession before recovering to wide defensive areas when defending.

In the 2020/21 season, he even led Manchester City to the Premier League title without a recognised striker, instead deploying midfielders as false nines to great success.

It’s this type of innovation and tactical genius that has consistently outfoxed the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal over the years. It’s no wonder their fans have been eyeing Guardiola’s potential departure at the end of the 2024/25 season with more than a little hope.

While City will undoubtedly have a succession plan in place for when Guardiola eventually steps down, they’ll struggle to find a like-for-like replacement capable of replicating his success. Simply put, Guardiola is irreplaceable.

Just look at Manchester United’s struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

The legendary Scot won 13 Premier League titles in 21 seasons, but since his departure, United have failed to add to that tally in 11 attempts.

Ferguson’s influence was so transformative that the club has yet to recover, and while a similar decline is unlikely for City - given their resources and infrastructure - it’s hard to imagine anyone matching the dominance they’ve enjoyed under Guardiola.

Reports of Guardiola signing just a one-year contract extension suggest this could very well mark the beginning of the end of his time at Manchester City. The focus now will be on bowing out in style - securing a fifth consecutive Premier League title this season, and potentially making it six in a row next year.

His team is currently navigating uncharted waters, having suffered four successive defeats - the first time in Guardiola’s managerial career he has endured such a run, excluding shootouts.

However, the news of his stay could serve as the spark needed to reignite their season and lay the foundation for yet another triumphant campaign.