Despite managing a stoppage time goal to draw at home against struggling Hull City, the Premier League champions now find themselves seven points behind Chelsea and only four above Southampton after now having gone five games without a win.
This poor run in form we believe could very well continue due to the reasons listed below.
1. Yaya Toure being on international duty for the Ivory Coast just shows how important the former Barcelona player is for City with the Citizens not winning a game without him in the team.
2. The poor decision to make a mid-season trip to the UAE and play an exhibition match with Hamburg in between domestic fixtures that saw them crash out of the FA Cup to Middlesbrough on their return.
3. The clubs home form has been terrible this year compared to last season when Chelsea was the only team to beat them at the Etihad.
4. Injuries to Sergio Aguero have hurt City with the clubs leading goal scorer failing to score since a knee injury kept him out over the holidays.
5. A lack of attacking support for Aguero with Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko only finding the back of the net seven times between them this season.
6. Too much emphasis on winning the Champions League, with all thoughts going towards beating Barcelona now they are through to the knockout stage.
7. The decline of Vincent Kompany who is now regularly at fault giving away goals, while often looking tired on the pitch.
8. Failed new signings have not delivered the promised goods as we have seen in the £32 million Eliaquim Mangala who cannot even get into the team along with the poor form of Fernando and Bacary Sagna.
9. City do not have a strong man in front of the defenders with fans questioning as to why Pellegrini signed Fernando who alongside Fernandinho who have just not been good enough in this role.
10. The injury to Samir Nasri has certainly been felt by City over the past three weeks and the thought of Pellegrini playing him before he is ready given the form of Navas is worrying.
Despite what Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said about seven points not being enough, we feel that for the reasons mentioned above Manchester City will
not win the Premier League, but could surprise Barcelona in the Champions League when the two teams meet on the 24th of February.
