Manchester City Stumble into Unnecessary and Avoidable Fight for Top-4 Place

Manchester City’s defeat to Burnley on Saturday not only ended their title hopes, it also saw them being dragged into a battle to finish inside the top four.

Arsenal are one point behind in third, and Manchester United’s impressive win over Tottenham means they are now just two points adrift in fourth. Liverpool are just outside the Champions League places in fifth, seven points off City but with a game in hand.

Louis van Gaal told BBC Sport City were in a "rat race" to qualify for Europe’s elite knockout competition.

"Whether they want that or don't want that, that is the position," said Van Gaal after United's 3-0 win over Spurs. "It is a rat race. They are in it."

And former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day 2 programme, believes City are in serious danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.

"They’re in a little bit of freefall at the minute, they need to arrest things, or they could slide out [of the top four]," he said. "Arsenal are just on their shoulder. There’s big problems. There needs to be a meeting in that dressing room to sort it out."

Phil Neville, the former United and Everton full-back, believes City "lack motivation."

"When I saw them against Burnley on Saturday, I saw a team that maybe lacked a little bit of motivation, a bit of challenge, and in a league where Chelsea are slipping up at the moment, Man City aren’t capitalising."

It’s become unnecessarily tight. No one has the divine right to be champions, but the quality in City’s squad should have been more than enough to see them mount a strong title challenge, not looking over their shoulder fearing being dragged into a scrap for the top four.

Defeats against so-called lesser lights has been City’s Achilles' heel all season. Stoke, West Ham, Burnley (twice), Everton and Hull have all taken points off City—unacceptable given the resources available to the Etihad club.

Jon Super/Associated Press

However, the remaining fixtures for the chasing pack means City are still likely to qualify for the Champions League. Arsenal still have to play Liverpool, Chelsea and United. If those around City are taking points off one another, it makes City's task easier.

United have the most difficult fixtures, with Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Arsenal left to play in their final nine games. United’s form is good, though, having won 13 of their last 19 matches, losing just two. Their performances have been poor for much of that run, but they have found a way to win when not at their best, something City have spectacularly failed to do.

Liverpool also have to play three of the current top four, whereas City have just United left to face from the upper echelons of the league, which should see them remain in the qualification places.

It’s a mark of City’s regression, though, that they aren’t sure of a top-four place at this stage of the season. They were champions in May having scored a century of goals and entertained throughout much of the campaign. There were a series of impressive wins in that time, the kind that breed confidence and inspire the fans.

This season has been markedly different. City have consistently underwhelmed and Pellegrini's position is now under severe threat.

Wednesday's game with Barcelona could be the last chance he has to prove to the board of directors he should be given the chance to lead City next season. With City trailing 2-1 from the first leg, it seems unlikely they can go to the Camp Nou and get the result they need, no matter how much the manager needs it.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.