Manchester City’s struggles deepened as they squandered a commanding three-goal lead to settle for a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord, stretching their winless streak to six matches.
Pep Guardiola, enduring the toughest period of his managerial career, seemed poised for a comfortable victory in this Champions League clash.
Goals from Erling Haaland on either side of halftime, complemented by Ilkay Gundogan’s deflected strike, had City cruising. However, late drama unfolded.
Ben Ransom and Adam Bate dissected the unexpected collapse as City surrendered their dominance.
The turnaround began when Anis Hadj Moussa capitalized on Josko Gvardiol’s defensive lapse in the 75th minute. Substitute Santiago Gimenez then added to City’s woes, slotting home from close range.
Finally, David Hancko’s header sealed a stunning equalizer, leaving City stunned and deflated.
Although the draw technically ended their five-game losing streak, it felt like a defeat given the context. Still languishing outside the top eight in the Champions League, City’s slump continues unabated, raising serious questions about their current form and direction under Guardiola.
Initially, it seemed like a morale-boosting win was in the bag—a much-needed lift for a team struggling to find its footing. But instead, this result deepens the crisis.
Guardiola, believing the game was under control, introduced Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, James McAtee, and Kevin De Bruyne with the score at 3-0. His focus had already shifted to the upcoming clash with Liverpool. Feyenoord, however, had different plans.
Mistakes from key players aided Feyenoord’s comeback. Gvardiol’s casual back-pass proved costly, while Ederson’s performance left much to be desired.
Despite having experienced players like De Bruyne, Haaland, Bernardo Silva, and Jack Grealish on the pitch, City faltered when it mattered most.
Guardiola made three changes to the lineup that suffered a heavy defeat to Tottenham. Nathan Ake replaced John Stones, Matheus Nunes came in for Kyle Walker, and Jack Grealish started ahead of Savinho.
Yet, even with these adjustments, City looked bewildered at the final whistle, as though trapped in a situation they couldn’t comprehend.
With doubts mounting, they face the daunting task of heading to Anfield, where a loss could widen the gap to the Premier League leaders to 11 points—an undeniable crisis.
Reflecting on the game, Guardiola was candid, “It is not necessary to say anything to them [the players], they know it perfectly. Three episodes did not allow us to win. It is what it is. It is difficult to swallow right now. The game was good, scored three, could have scored more.
“We give away three, especially the first one. We were not able to control the last minutes.
“The team was so committed. But the moment something happens, the team is not strong enough.
“We are not able to win games. We were always a team that found a way.
“What can we do? Rest one or two days and prepare for Anfield.”
When asked about the boos from fans, he responded, “The last game against Tottenham, 0-4, they were there, applause. They don’t come here to remember the past, they come here to see the team perform. Of course, they are completely right to express how they feel.”
For Feyenoord, it was a night to remember. Their manager marveled at the comeback,”If you are from Feyenoord Rotterdam, it is an unbelievable evening, 3-0 down away from home against, for me, still the best team in the world.
“Obviously, you always believe, but it was a difficult game. The first 25 minutes, they played fast football, we were not as tight as we wanted, ended up too low.
“At 3-0 down, you definitely think this is going to be a long night, tough evening, but without any tactical [changes], just individual quality, moments, gave us the draw.
“The players stayed in the game, kept pushing and kept believing. I can only praise them.”
For City, the journey to Anfield now looms large, with their title hopes hanging in the balance.
