City Boss Pep Guardiola Could ‘Leave Manchester City This Week’ After Man Utd Loss – And his replacement has been shortlisted this morning
Manchester City, under the management of Pep Guardiola, suffered what can only be described as one of their most disappointing displays in recent times when they visited Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, ultimately falling to a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United, now led by Michael Carrick. In the wake of this underwhelming result, broadcaster Richard Keys has put forward an extraordinary assertion regarding Guardiola’s tenure with the club during his analysis following the match.
The red contingent of Manchester—a city steeped in football passion—managed to restore local supremacy at Old Trafford, reversing their earlier 3-0 defeat from earlier in the campaign. Second-half strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu secured the victory for the home side.
**Notable Statistics from GIVEMESPORT:** Erling Haaland is currently experiencing a seven-match drought without scoring a goal from open play across all competitions—marking the longest such barren spell the Norwegian striker has encountered while representing a club competing in Europe’s top five leagues.
The two-goal margin of defeat actually masked the extent of City’s struggles, as they appeared out of sorts throughout the entire ninety minutes. Guardiola, who has accumulated half a dozen league championships since making the switch from Bayern Munich to Manchester City in 2016, was seemingly powerless to extract quality performances from his high-priced roster, consequently surrendering vital points in the ongoing 2025/26 Premier League championship pursuit.
**Keys Delivers Shocking Statement About Guardiola After Manchester United’s 2-0 Victory Over Manchester City**
Following this setback against their cross-town rivals, City now find themselves vulnerable to being overtaken in the standings by Aston Villa, provided Villa emerge triumphant in their Sunday fixture against Everton. Furthermore, any realistic aspirations of claiming the title in May took another significant blow, considering Arsenal have established a comfortable advantage at the summit of the table.
The previous campaign, which concluded without silverware, represented uncharted waters for Guardiola and his squad. Should history repeat itself this season, questions may intensify regarding the longevity of the Spanish tactician’s stay—particularly given his recent £65 million investment in acquiring Antoine Semenyo.
Although Guardiola committed his future to the club by signing a fresh two-year contract extension in November 2024, keeping him at the helm through the summer of 2027, the recent dismissal of Enzo Maresca has sparked speculation about whether he will actually remain in his position for the contract’s full duration if performances continue to deteriorate.
During beIN Sports’ post-match discussion of the Manchester Derby, Keys made the stunning suggestion that Guardiola might not be at the helm for City’s upcoming Premier League encounter—scheduled for January 24 at the Etihad Stadium against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“I believe it’s virtually certain [that Guardiola will be] departed by season’s end, however… don’t dismiss the possibility—and should it transpire, recall that you heard it here initially—don’t dismiss the chance of him stepping down this very week,” Keys proclaimed.
“This week! And should he depart this week, [Enzo] Maresca will assume control for the Wolves fixture next week. City will be absolutely furious, as I’ve mentioned. They’ll deny these claims, naturally, but it’s weighing on his thoughts, I’m convinced. It’s genuinely on his mind to walk away this week.”
“It’s reached a breaking point,” commented his broadcasting partner, Andy Gray, before Keys elaborated: “He’s departing at season’s close regardless, that’s essentially guaranteed. Finished! And subsequently, I believe [Vincent] Kompany enters consideration. Should he exit this week, [it would be] Maresca.”
As the adage goes: all wonderful things eventually reach their conclusion, and Guardiola, despite being recognized as one of football management’s all-time greats, seemingly no longer possesses the magic touch to guide his team to championship glory—a reality that was thoroughly demonstrated last season when Liverpool claimed the title with four fixtures remaining. Regardless of how painful it might feel, this moment was inevitably approaching.
Maresca, who was recently succeeded by Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge, is purportedly near the top of the club’s succession planning for Guardiola’s eventual replacement. His established connection to City—having served at the club during two distinct periods, including one stint working directly under Guardiola—could prove advantageous for the club should they decide to bring the shrewd Italian tactician on board in the immediate future.
According to GIVEMESPORT Senior Football Correspondent Ben Jacobs, the 45-year-old’s choice to depart Chelsea came following his team’s 2-2 stalemate with Bournemouth on December 30, and he refrained from fulfilling media obligations while contemplating his next move.
