It almost seems as if Manchester City are cursed whenever they play in the Champions League. One of the most dominant teams in the Premier League in recent years, they’re still seeking that illustrious first Champions League trophy to take them from being the most dominant team in England to the most dominant team in Europe.
Although most people will accept that City are one of the great powerhouses in European football at the present moment, without any silverware to show for it, history is likely to be less kind to them. Their records in the Premier League will make them a domestic powerhouse only.
The question is, will City ever win the Champions League? They’re more than likely to be the favourites in Champions League winner odds next season, now they need to prove themselves worthy.
Management
They’ve taken their time in finding the perfect manager to turn them from a dominant team to the dominant team in English football. Pep Guardiola has found a rhythm that this City side enjoys, and he has been able to bring out the best in players like Raheem Sterling and John Stones at a time when many people were claiming that the duo were not quite the standard City needed to push on.
What Pep has built at Manchester City is an incredibly strong squad. He doesn’t just rely on his starting XI to get the job done, he also has star players who he can rotate to keep everybody fresh and keep the opposition on their toes.
Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez have all be rotated this year on the Manchester City wings in order to maintain fitness. Any team would be lucky to have just one of those players patrolling the wing, so to have four at his disposal, Guardiola has done well to give each player a fair amount of game time.
A bright future
Although the club lost Brahim Diaz to Real Madrid in the January transfer window, there is still a bright future for City with the youngsters at their disposal. With the likes of Phil Foden, and Oleksandr Zinchenko rising up to feature more frequently in the side this season, as well as Tosin Adarabioyo, who will return to City after playing on loan at Championship side West Bromwich Albion this season, the club certainly have youngsters with bright futures.
Players like Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany and David Silva might be coming towards the end of their careers, but City have youngsters who can replace them. Even if these youngsters don’t live up to the hype and are only bit-part players, City have the funds to buy who they need to continue their dominance.
Will they do it?
The Champions League is a cruel tournament that can punish even the slightest mistake. It seems almost like City will never quite reach the Champions League final, let alone go on and win it. But, if they can keep Guardiola for a few more seasons, if they can nurture those youngsters into superstars, and if they can buy the players they need to maintain their dominance, there’s no reason why they can’t.
This might just be the beginning for City. Domestically, they’ve won everything they need to, European glory is all that’s required for this City side to be crowned one of the best we’ve ever witnessed in continental football.