For the first time since 2016/17, Manchester City have failed to win a significant piece of silverware (note that we aren’t counting the Community Shield they landed on penalties in August 2024). After a trophyless first campaign in charge of City in 2016/17, Pep Guardiola has won at least one trophy, and usually several, every season… until now.
In this article, we’ll take a look back at what went wrong in each of the competitions in which Man City competed over the 2024/25 campaign, starting with the most recent: the FIFA Club World Cup.
Club World Cup: Humiliation as Saudis Celebrate
A remarkable victory in extra-time for Al Hilal. ✨#FIFACWC
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) July 1, 2025
The FIFA Club World Cup has had plenty of criticism, so we won’t add to that here. But City fans will be left wondering why their side bothered to turn up after getting knocked out at the Round of 16 stage by Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. After Pep’s men hammered Italian side Juventus 5-2 in their final group game, hopes were high that they’d turned a corner and could go all the way in the tournament. But those hopes came crashing down as they went down 4-3 after extra time to the Saudi side.
Of course, the club still earned a tidy pile of cash from their exploits, but the humiliating defeat by the relative minnows of world football (despite their hefty bankroll) will not sit easily with City’s fans. On the plus side, the players can now have a proper break before the new season starts, but for Guardiola, it’s back to the drawing board as his last chance of silverware from an awful season disappeared.
Premier League: No Recovery from Mid-Season Collapse
Man City’s title defence started well in the 2024/25 campaign, with victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge followed by easy wins against Ipswich and West Ham. They stuttered a little in September, however, as they could only manage a home draw against Arsenal and a point on the road at Newcastle, but three wins in October got them back on track.
Then it all went to pot for City’s league season. November saw the Cityzens lose to Bournemouth, Brighton and even Tottenham! Then they lost to title rivals Liverpool and city neighbours Man United the following month. Despite a win over Nottingham Forest and a draw with Crystal Palace, the damage was done, and City never recovered sufficiently to have a chance of overhauling eventual champions Liverpool
In the end, a bit of late-season form meant it wasn’t as bad as it could have been as Pep’s men finished in third place, 13 points behind title-winner Liverpool and three behind second-placed Arsenal.
FA Cup: City Undone by Palace Underdogs
FULL-TIME | Defeat in the FA Cup final.
🦅 1-0 🩵 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/V9IGZklEms
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 17, 2025
City at least had a decent run in the FA Cup, a tournament Pep had won twice previously. On their way to Wembley, City beat near neighbours Salford City 8-0, Leyton Orient, Plymouth Argyle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. In the final, they would face Crystal Palace, which looked eminently winnable on paper.
Football matches aren’t played on paper, of course, and Palace had other ideas. In a fantastically disciplined and robust display, Oliver Glasner’s Palace took the game to City. They soaked up pressure but hustled brilliantly and hit Guardiola’s side on the break. The underdogs got the breakthrough after just 16 minutes with a well-worked goal finished by Eberechi Eze. Despite throwing everything they had at it, City couldn’t find a response, and Palace won the FA Cup for the first time in their history, and they deserved it.
Champions League: City Can’t Compete with Real Quality
In the new-look Champions League, City didn’t exactly paint themselves in glory. They only managed to finish 22nd in the League Phase, meaning they had to go to the Knockout Phase Play-offs. They only won three of their league games, and lost to Sporting, Juventus and eventual winners PSG.
City were perhaps a little unlucky with their play-off opponents. Several of Europe’s biggest sides failed to excel in the League Phase, and City were drawn against Real Madrid in their play-off. Despite putting up a decent fight, City were outgunned as they went down 3-2 at home and 3-1 in Madrid to leave the Champions League before the knockout stage had really got going.
League Cup: Struggling Spurs Stun City
The League Cup would not have been the number one priority for Pep at the start of the season, but it still must have stung to go out at the fourth round stage to Tottenham, a side who were struggling in the Premier League (and who eventually finished 17th!).
Having won the League Cup four times previously, Guardiola appeared to have a soft spot for the competition that many managers would rather do without. But even this piece of silverware was beyond City this time around as Spurs won 2-1 in north London with goals from Timo Werner and Pape Sarr sealing the victory.
Community Shield: Scant Consolation
As mentioned earlier, Man City did sort of win a piece of silverware before the season began as they got the better of Manchester United on penalties to take home the Community Shield. Interestingly, it was only the third time Pep had won it, but clearly it will have come as little (if any) consolation in what has been a season to forget for Guardiola, the players and the fans of Manchester City. The question is, can the Cityzens come back stronger next season, or has 2024/25 been a sign that the era of City dominance is finally over?