Football journalist Alex Keble analyzes the UEFA Champions League games of the Premier League clubs on Tuesday.

Man City’s collapse marks a new low for defense dissolution

Man City 3-3 Feyenoord

Everything went so smoothly. Manchester City were 3-0 up with just fifteen minutes to go and order was certainly restored at the Etihad Stadium.

It’s hard to believe that Pep Guardiola would look physically battered and battered at his post-match press conference within 20 minutes of enduring one of the toughest moments of his Man City career.

“The game was fine at 3-0. We played well and didn’t concede much, but after that we conceded a lot of goals because we weren’t stable,” Guardiola said Amazon Prime after witnessing a defensive breakdown that left him scratching his face in disbelief.

“We scored them the first (goal) and the other one and in that respect it is difficult. Having lost a lot of games recently, we are vulnerable and of course we need a win. The game was good for self-confidence.” “We played at a good level and then when something happens for the first time, we have problems.”

City were masters of their own demise at the Etihad. Feyenoord’s first goal was an unforced error from Josko Gvardiol. The second mistake was Gvardiol’s mistake again; This time his positioning was completely wrong as he allowed Jordan Lotomba to cross for a pass from Santiago Gimenez.

The third result came from City’s completely disorganized high line and some rushed defending from Ederson. Three avoidable goals, all of which betrayed the panic that had descended on Manchester.

Feyenoord’s expected goals (xG) map shows the extent of the collapse. They only managed 0.18 xG until the 75th minute before scoring from three big chances.

Guardiola’s team is breaking the wrong records.

Man City became the first team in UEFA Champions League history to lead a game by three goals in the 75th minute and then fail to win.

This was also the first time City had blown a three-goal lead since 1989, and they have not conceded two or more goals in six consecutive games since 1963.

Worse, their Champions League season needs saving. City have only taken eight points from five games and are firmly in mid-table ahead of games against Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. These are now must-wins if City want to finish in the top eight, qualify for the round of 16 and avoid two more playoff games in February.

Guardiola must be wondering how far down they can go.

See: Man City report and line-up

Arsenal pick up a statement win and gets them back on track

Sporting 1-5 Arsenal

“This is a big challenge for us, to come here and make a statement and show that we are capable against this type of opponent,” Mikel Arteta told reporters before Tuesday’s game.

The Arsenal manager got exactly what he wanted. His team acted skillfully and ruthlessly in Lisbon, racing out of the starting blocks, scoring an early goal, taking the initiative and then finishing the game before half-time.

In doing so, they condemned Sporting to their first defeat in all competitions this season while also securing the Gunners’ first away win in the Champions League since beating Sevilla in October 2023 six games ago.

It was the kind of performance from Arsenal that we were used to in 2023/24, but that Arteta’s side had not seen this season until last weekend, when Martin Odegaard contributed to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest that had similar characteristics like the defeat on Tuesday.

Suddenly everything seems brighter. Back at their best, Arsenal’s nine-point lead over Liverpool somehow no longer looks as insurmountable as it did a week ago, while in Europe there is a feeling that the Gunners are a force again.

Arsenal’s return to the top eight of the Champions League and the clear fixture list – Monaco (H), Dinamo Zagreb (H) and Girona (A) – suggests that they are on the way to a safe place in the second round.

See: Arsenal report and lineup