Is this the end of an era at Man City? What we learned from their rivals' declines

Every generation has a dominant team, but all periods of dominance end -- just look at Liverpool in the 1990s and Man United in the 2010s. Have Man City begun their decline?

2hMark OgdenClive Rose/Getty Images

Are we witnessing the end of Manchester City's incredible period of dominance, and have recent weeks exposed the first cracks in the winning empire built by Pep Guardiola? When the Champions League fixture list for the new 36-team league phase was released in September, nobody could have seriously predicted that Wednesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain would be a make-or-break game for two of Europe's most powerful clubs. But that is exactly what it has become, with both sides in danger of not advancing to the knockout rounds.

For PSG, the club's decision to dispense with a policy of superstar signings (Kylian Mbappé left on a free transfer for Real Madrid in the summer) and focus on up-and-coming talent helps explain their unexpected slide in the Champions League, but Luis Enrique's team are still leaving domestic rivals trailing in their wake in France. Not only are PSG still on course for another Ligue 1 title, unbeaten in 18 games and leading second-place Marseille by 10 points, but they're alive in the French Cup and eyeing up another treble.

It is a different story at City. Having guided the team to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, Guardiola has endured a series of career lows as manager this season. City are miles off the pace in the title race -- 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more -- and ended 2024 with just one win in 13 games in all competitions. That run included five successive defeats and an overall sequence of nine losses in 13 games.

Despite three wins and two draws in their past five league games, Guardiola's squad are showing signs of age and decline. Right-back Kyle Walker, 34, wants to leave, while midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, also 34, has been a shadow of his former self since returning to the club from Barcelona last summer. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 33, is out of contract this summer and has yet to discuss a new deal.

Star striker Erling Haaland's decision to sign a 10-year contract last week was an unexpected coup for City and a huge morale boost for all connected with the club, but there remains so much uncertainty around the Etihad.

Guardiola's future remains the subject of speculation despite signing his own contract extension in November, City have lost their magic touch in the transfer market, opponents have lost their fear of Guardiola's once-formidable team, and the club are seeing homegrown players (including Cole Palmer and Liam Delap) exceed expectations with their new teams after perhaps being offloaded too soon.

Pep Guardiola and Man City have won everything there is to win since he joined the club in 2016, but is their time at the top coming to an end? Clive Rose/Getty Images

Every generation has a dominant team, but the empires built by Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s and Sir Alex Ferguson's winning machine at Manchester United were both eventually brought down and overtaken by rivals. Is the same now happening to City?

Rather than wait for the benefit of hindsight, their peers' stories suggest that the warning signs of the end may already be showing.

With additional reporting by Beth Lindop