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Manchester City Stumble in the Final Portion of the 2019/20 Season

By Mark Temnycky

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) scores their second goal during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on July 18, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) scores their second goal during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on July 18, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Manchester City enjoyed quite a successful week leading up to their FA Cup tie against Arsenal.

Last Saturday, the Sky Blues saw off Brighton & Hove Albion in a resounding 5-0 away victory. The result meant that Manchester City will finish within the top four spots of the 2019/20 English Premier League table.

City’s win over Brighton also mathematically assured the Sky Blues a place in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stages.

Their qualification was then confirmed on Monday, where the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned Manchester City’s two-year ban from the Champions League, meaning the Sky Blues would be allowed to compete in the tournament.

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Finally, two events occurred on Wednesday. The first was Manchester City’s match against Bournemouth. Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over the Cherries meant that the Sky Blues would finish higher in the English Premier League table than crosstown rivals Manchester United.

This is the seventh consecutive season in which City have finished higher than United. Following this small victory, Arsenal also defeated Liverpool, meaning the Reds can no longer amass more than 99 points this season, meaning City’s 100-point record remains unscathed.

The celebrations throughout the week were short-lived, however, as Manchester City went crashing out of the FA Cup after they lost to Arsenal in the semi-finals on Saturday. Whether it was complacency or simply a bad day, the Sky Blues did not perform against the Gunners.

Throughout the match, Manchester City dominated possession, had three times as many shots on goal than their opponents, and had six times as many corners. Despite these very lopsided statistics, Arsenal converted their chances and won the match 2-0.

As much as Manchester City were off, credit is also due to Manchester City’s former assistant manager Mikel Arteta, who now manages Arsenal.

As outlined by The Athletic, City’s loss against Arsenal rehashed the same problems the Sky Blues have faced throughout the 2019/20 season. City dominated possession, but could not finish their chances. The defenders lapsed concentration.

Most important, the team lacked motivation and seemed disoriented after Arsenal scored their second goal, where it appeared City had lost belief in their ability to fight back in the match.

City’s 2019/20 season will be masked by winning the 2019 FA Community Shield and the 2019/20 Carabao Cup. Two trophies are better than no trophies, but with the size, caliber, and wealth of the club, Manchester City must strive to achieve much more than these so-called lesser competitions. Retaining the FA Cup could have salvaged a portion of the 2019/20 season, but now the opportunity is lost.

Manchester City will conclude the 2019/20 EPL season with a match against Watford on Tuesday before hosting Norwich City on Sunday. The Sky Blues will then play the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid on Friday, August 7.

As City stumbled in their defining portion of the 2019/20 season, Real Madrid have won the 2019/20 La Liga season. City’s opponents will be difficult, and while the road to the 2019/20 Champions League final will be challenging, should City fail to win the competition, the season will truly be lost.