Not our best, but closer' - how high can Man City finish? - Voice of Asia

During a period of declining form and results for Manchester City at the end of 2024, manager Pep Guardiola often appeared agitated. However, he looked much more relaxed after his team's 6-0 thrashing of a struggling Ipswich Town on Sunday. This impressive performance has once again highlighted Manchester City's dominance in English football in recent years.

"We are getting back the characteristics that have defined this team for the last decade," Guardiola said in a post-match interview with Sky Sports. "I'm really happy for the players, they deserved this victory. They have suffered a lot during this period, but we are recovering some of the lost traits."

During November and December, Manchester City only managed one win in nine league games, severely damaging their hopes of winning a fifth consecutive title, and they are now 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. Now, finishing in the top four seems more realistic. The victory against Ipswich saw Manchester City move above Newcastle into fourth place, six points behind second-placed Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.

However, Guardiola was simply pleased to see his team rediscover their old form, completely controlling the game against Ipswich. "[Things are] much better," he added. "Maybe not our best, but closer. The players realized where we are, our standards dropped, because it's not just about winning titles, it's about enjoying the process of doing our best."

The victory was the biggest win in the Premier League this season, with Manchester City repeatedly tearing apart the Ipswich defense with fluid passing and movement, which were the foundations of their past success but severely lacking during their period of poor form. When Manchester City are on top, they can score goals for fun, and this firepower seems to have returned, with 14 goals in their last four games. This match was also their joint-biggest away win in Premier League history, matching their 6-0 victory against Watford in 2017.

A top-four finish would certainly secure Champions League qualification for next season, but this could be increased to five spots based on how English clubs perform in this season's competitions. However, for Manchester City to win their fifth consecutive title, they would need to produce an astonishing run of form, while also seeing a significant dip in form from league leaders Liverpool. But as long as it is mathematically possible, they can never be completely ruled out. In the 2018-19 season, they were 10 points behind Liverpool at the New Year but then won 18 of their next 19 games to eventually win the title by one point.

The biggest points gap overcome by a team is 13, achieved by Arsenal in the 1997-98 season. Manchester United overcame 12-point deficits in both the 1992-93 and 1995-96 seasons, the latter after 23 games, eventually finishing four points ahead of Newcastle. "The initial aim is to try and get into second place," former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "That's certainly within touching distance. I don't think you can rule out Man City, they certainly can get into the top two. I think the title may be beyond them, but having said that, there's still a lot of football to be played. I just don't think you can write them off."

Currently, any form of title challenge is not on Guardiola's mind, he will just be happy to see his players enjoying their football again on the pitch. Especially Phil Foden, who is looking more like the player who scored a career-best 27 goals and 12 assists last season and was named PFA Player of the Year. His two goals against Ipswich took his tally to five in his last three league games, and he is once again showing the desire and determination to get into the right positions to score.

"It's great to be scoring again, smiling and enjoying my football," said the 24-year-old Foden. "I want to keep pushing and add more goals. You never know what can happen. The aim is to stay in the top four." After Erling Haaland signed a long-term contract extension of nine and a half years last week, Guardiola hopes that Foden will follow suit. "He can be a one-club player, finish his career here and play for many, many years," said the Manchester City manager.

"We have spoken many times in the last month or weeks, at the beginning of the season he was a completely different player, had some problems, because they are human beings, and sometimes in a long career you have some setbacks, it's normal. But we are really pleased that he is happy again, enjoying the game, and that is so good for all of us."

With three wins in their last four games and unbeaten in six, Manchester City appear to be hitting form at just the right time, and they will now turn their attention to Wednesday's crucial Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester City are ranked 22nd in the Champions League standings, and they need to win their remaining two games to have a chance of automatically qualifying for the knockout stages. Reconstruction work is also underway, with changes expected in terms of player arrivals and departures.

Kyle Walker was not in the squad against Ipswich, following reports linking him with AC Milan, and Guardiola has previously stated that the England defender has been given permission to explore his options. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush is close to joining Manchester City, who are also on the verge of signing Brazilian teenage defender Vítor Reis and Lens center-back Abdulkodir Khusanov. "It's about rebuilding momentum," added Schwarzer. "Being more ruthless in front of goal, and key players looking to get back to form, which they certainly showed against Ipswich. I think that's really important for Man City going forward."