Pep Guardiola believes he’s finally cracked it, the second half collapse curse that’s haunted Manchester City all season .
The Blues have dropped countless points after half time this campaign, with Chelsea, Brighton and Spurs all coming from behind to snatch results . But Guardiola now reckons his squad has the “tools” to compete for 90 minutes .
THE PROBLEM
Let’s be honest, it’s been a nightmare. From the opening day win at Wolves where they took their foot off, to that gutting Brighton defeat after leading for an hour . The start of 2026 was particularly brutal, with injuries biting hard and leads evaporating.
But something’s changed in the last 135 minutes.
THE EVIDENCE
City drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest at home, not ideal but Guardiola was actually happier with that second half than many wins . They conceded twice but kept fighting, scored one, and showed character.
Before that? A defensive masterclass at Leeds to shut them out . And an FA Cup tie at Newcastle where they scored twice after the break to kill the game .
Three games. Three second halves that matched the first. For a team that’s been plagued by inconsistency, that’s progress.
THE REASON
Guardiola’s put his finger on it: personnel.
“We didn’t have enough tools and players being available to do some changes,” he admitted. “But Nico Gonzalez helped us a lot in the absence of Rodri and today he was back again. The partnership with Nico O’Reilly was outstanding, both physicality and have the ball, really good.”
That’s the key. Gonzalez and O’Reilly together give City something they’ve lacked, physical presence AND ball retention in midfield. It allows them to control games after the break rather than just hanging on.
THE WINGER FACTOR
Savinho and Jeremy Doku both made their first starts since injury against Newcastle . City have been playing a narrow 4-2-2-2 without them, which worked but limited options.
Now Guardiola has proper width back. Against teams like Newcastle and Bodo/Glimt who sit compact, that’s crucial.
“We learned a lot because in the other way we played really good but we didn’t have these players and without that it is more difficult,” he explained.
“Savinho was injured for more than two months and Jeremy was also injured for a long time… they helped us a lot today, without wingers it would have been much more difficult.”
THE UNBEATEN RUN
City are now 11 games without defeat since that Bodo/Glimt loss . That’s not a coincidence. The squad’s getting healthy, the formation’s settling, and the second half slide might finally be fixed.
“We fought and I’m happy because in the last three games our second half was quite similar in the first half,” Guardiola said. “All the season we dropped a lot, otherwise we would be in an incredible position in the Premier League.”
He’s right. If City had been doing this all season, the title race would look very different.
But better late than never. And with trophies still to play for, finding the fix now could be season defining.
