Manchester City, crisis club? It is sort of fun to say - or at least, see. From the neutral perspective, having someone other than the Cityzens win the Premier League, at the very least, makes for a refreshing change of pace.
And City have deserved their struggles this season. They have looked tired, out of ideas, frustrated. Erling Haaland is injured. Kevin De Bruyne is leaving. They lost the reigning Ballon d'Or winner to an ACL tear. Rotten luck? Sure. But it has made the Premier League that little bit more interesting.
The season is done now, though. City will finish third. They are winning games again, looking more like a Pep Guardiola side. Odds are, they will claim the FA Cup with a victory over Crystal Palace next month. And the Club World Cup, in some ways, could be a reset.
De Bruyne might be gone by then. New signings such as Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez will have been allowed to properly settle in. Haaland should be approaching full fitness. This machine could be whirring back into life again. Still, it might just come a bit too soon. There are no guarantees here, with tired legs and fitness issues likely to play a role.
A fully fit City should win this thing. Anything short of that? Then it's anybody's game.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
Next up is Manchester City with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the English side at the tournament.
