Opponents Perceive Opportunity Against Manchester City Amidst Form Dip

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman suggests that opposing teams will now approach matches against Manchester City with a changed perspective, believing they will be afforded “a chance” to win. This shift in perception follows Manchester City’s recent performance on Tuesday night, where Pep Guardiola’s team relinquished a 3-0 advantage at home against Feyenoord in the Champions League. This result extends their winless streak to six games across all competitions. This current spell represents the most challenging period of form the club has experienced under Guardiola’s management, with the City boss himself describing the team as “fragile” following the draw. Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman stated on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily, “You think about the [recent] games we’re talking about, Manchester City aren’t suddenly a poor team.” He continued, “Even against Feyenoord, 3-0 up after 75 minutes, it seemed done. In the games against Spurs, Brighton, Sporting, for the large majority of those games they were the dominant team.” Osman further explained, “But, you know now that if you can get a bit of momentum in the game, because every team will have at least a five or 10-minute spell, in that 10-minute spell you can actually blow Manchester City away at the moment. They concede one and they look like their doors are open. It seems to be a mental thing at the moment. The game management doesn’t seem to be there. ” He added, “There’s a way of getting the game back, Manchester City don’t seem to be doing that. They keep making mistakes or leaving the opportunity there for the opposition.” Concluding his thoughts, Osman remarked, “Would I feel differently [about facing City now]? Yeah, I think there’s a chance of beating them at the moment. Even if we’ve been battered for 75 minutes, I still think that your mental attitude is, if we can just hang in here, they’ll give us a chance.”