Otamendi, would see Manchester City
concede nine goals in five games. City’s
front line, although formidable, had be-
come completely impotent during the
same disastrous autumn run scoring just
two goals in the same five games;Pep
Guardiola himself identifying squan-
dered chances as the reason for his
team’s poor form.
Inconsistency plagued City going for-
ward as Guardiola tried to implement his
unique footballing philosophy into an ag-
ing Manchester City squad. A 4-2 loss to
Leicester and a 4-0 loss to Everton in
January led many to question Pep’s cred-
ibility and whether he was a managerial
virtuoso or if his success was the prod-
uct of already successful teams.
Despite being convincingly beaten in the
Champions League Last 16 by an offen-
sively brilliant Monaco side, the introduc-
tion of Gabriel Jesus, for an injured Ser-
gio Aguero, proved to be the spark Man-
chester City needed to bring about a
change in fortunes. The youngster went
on to score seven and assists four goals
in just eight league appearances, includ-
ing the final three games of the season.
Finishing the season out of all other cup
competitions allowed City to focus their
attention on the leg and a last-minute
scramble for Champion’s League qualifi-
cation, eventually finishing third in the
league following a string of dominant
performances in the final games of the
13