The future looked grim after Manchester City’s poor run of form in October and November. The Sky Blues had just been eliminated in the Carabao Cup, and they earned a series of poor results in the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League. Several injuries to key players impacted their performance on the pitch, and fatigue was apparent in the team.
Manchester City looked to address some of these woes in the January 2025 transfer window by purchasing additional players, but the struggles continued. After more issues on the pitch, City were officially eliminated from the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League. They were also mathematically out of the EPL title race.
But not all is lost. Over the past few weeks, the Sky Blues have been on a good run of form. Several players are returning from injury, and the new signings are beginning to fit into Pep Guardiola’s system. This recent turn has seen Manchester City fighting for a place in the Champions League next season, and they have advanced to their third consecutive FA Cup Final. In other words, City may still be able to salvage something this season.
Success is not guaranteed at the end of the 2024/2025 season, and City will need to give it their all. Otherwise, the 2024/2025 season will be remembered as a disappointment. What remaining fixtures do Manchester City have in store for this season?
The Sky Blues will begin the final portion of the season with an EPL fixture. Manchester City will host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday, 2 May. The Wolves troubled the Sky Blues earlier this season, when the Mancunian side needed a last-minute goal to win the match. Over the past few seasons, Wolves have also caused issues for City. Thus, this match cannot be taken for granted. In addition, Wolves are in form as well. Therefore, this will be a difficult match.
After this game, Manchester City will travel to Southampton. The Saints will host the Sky Blues on Saturday, 10 May. Southampton have already been notified that they will be relegated at the end of this season. Despite this news, they will still look to play for pride. City must avoid taking this match lightly as well.
The highlight of Manchester City’s 2024/2025 season will then occur on Saturday, 17 May. On this day, the Sky Blues will play in the FA Cup Final. They will face Crystal Palace, another team that caused them issues earlier this season. If Manchester City hope to salvage something from this season, they will need to win this crucial game.
Manchester City will then conclude the 2024/2025 EPL season with a visit to Fulham. The Cottagers will host the Sky Blues on Sunday, 25 May. Like the matches against Wolves and Southampton in May, this will also be an important fixture. In order to secure a Champions League place for next season, the Sky Blues will need to finish in the top five spots in the table this season. Currently, the point difference between third and seventh place is five points. In other words, City cannot afford to slip up. Otherwise, their rivals in the table will gain ground, meaning that the Sky Blues would likely miss out on a Champions League spot next season.
Finally, at some point, Manchester City will host Bournemouth for an EPL game. The match was initially scheduled for Sunday, 18 May. But with City’s presence in the FA Cup on 17 May, the game between City and Bournemouth will need to be rescheduled. At the time of writing, the new date for this fixture is yet to be announced.
In short, five matches stand between Manchester City and the end of the 2024/2025 season. Four of these games will be in the EPL, where City are fighting for a Champions League spot. The remaining match in this season is the FA Cup Final. Given what is at stake, Manchester City must prepare themselves to try to win all five matches. Should they slip up in any of their four EPL games, their hopes of competing in the Champions League will be in jeopardy.
How will City fare in May 2025? Will they end on a positive note, winning another FA CUP trophy and securing a place in the Champions League for next season? Or will they falter, making the season one to forget? Time will tell.