Man City vs Feyenoord: Time to put crisis to bed

Manchester City entertain Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium amid a full-blown crisis, seeking three points to consolidate their pursuit of automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

City tied Pep Guardiola, one of the longest-serving managers in the Premier League, down to a new two-year contract last week, putting wild speculation over his future to bed.

However, the team’s decline hit a new low on Saturday. Tottenham Hotspur brushed the Cityzens aside with a stunning 4-0 victory at this venue.

Fans who cared to watch live football on TV witnessed incredible scenes at the Etihad as Spurs inflicted Man City’s fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

Stuck in uncharted territory, Guardiola demanded ‘commitment’ from his players during the pre-game conference, with City aiming to bounce back from a disheartening 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP.

Must-win outing

As emphasised by Guardiola, the perennial Premier League champions must take three points in their first European encounter against Feyenoord since 2017.

Guardiola presided over a pair of victories without conceding when Man City and the Dutch giants shared the stage in the 2017/18 Champions League group stages.

He’ll expect nothing less on Tuesday as the Cityzens head into proceedings unbeaten across their last 33 Champions League matches at the Etihad (W29, D4). 

Only five adrift of Barcelona’s outright record at Europe’s top table, Guardiola’s men are odds-on to return to the win column and avoid consecutive European defeats for the first time since 2018.

Extraordinary circumstances

Tottenham’s triumph halted Man City’s club-record 52-game unbeaten streak at the Etihad, highlighting the extent of the crisis in the blue part of Manchester.

City should be careful not to repeat the same mistake and underestimate Feyenoord.

Despite their troubled Eredivisie campaign, the visitors are remarkably unbeaten across their last 24 away games in all competitions (W15, D6), including both Champions League fixtures this season.

Feyenoord saw off Benfica and Girona on their two European travels so far, netting precisely three goals in each victory.

The visiting side’s formidable away form means Man City must approach this showdown with caution and respect for their Dutch opponents.