Manchester City won its first seven Premier League games this season, sitting across the table at a time when the rest of the league hated City for breaking financial fair play rules. The Blues at least could feel good about their play, even if the future was murky.
That feels like years ago, though. Instead of all the talk surrounding the club being about what sanctions it might eventually face, pundits and fans have started talking about issues not seen in 121 years. A top-tier team winning its first seven matches before losing its next three hadn't been done since Sheffield Wednesday did that deed in the 1904/05 season.
The Wednesday went on to finish in the middle of the table that season. That could be where Man City is headed, too.
Manchester City mirrors the worst of Sheffield Wednesday
The problem wouldn't seem to be the players, of course. The collection of talent on the roster has mostly been around for several years. Does the club miss Rodri and Bernardo Silva? Absolutely, especially from a leadership standpoint.
Often, the difference between a successful season and a lost one is the chemistry on the roster. Pep Guardiola made that work, and Rodri and Bernardo augmented the culture. City needs leaders to step up who might not be present on the roster.
Pep is gone too, of course. Enzo Maresca replaced him and definitely got off to the kind of dream start that almost -- almost -- made fans forget Guardiola had recently left City. Does Maresca have the ability to save a suddenly sinking club? This isn't a few-game slide. Manchester City has struggled for most of the time since returning from the first international break.
Goals are hard to come by. On Saturday against previously struggling Nottingham Forest, Erling Haaland rarely saw the ball for most of the match. He has to put himself in a better position, but set pieces have to be better at getting him involved.
Forest also hadn't scored at home this season, but had three against City. Gianluigi Donnarumma might not have had a chance to save any of the goals (though the second one was directly at him), but he hasn't played well recently. What happened against Forest only magnified his problems.
What makes the whole situation more pressing is that this could be the last "normal" season that Manchester City has. The club will face sanctions at some point, which could lead to relegation and roster moves. The Blues might not be in a position to wina Premier League title for quite some time to come, which meant the sense of urgency this season was higher.
Instead of claiming the top of the table, Man City could easily finish as Sheffield Wednesday did 121 years ago: Buring midway up the table. Unlike Wednesday, City could be looking at missing Champions League play next season, too. Not unless Enzo Maresca can find a way to right the ship, and at this point, there is no evidence that he can.
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