Manchester City The defense suffered another defeat on Saturday Premier League The champions have fallen 2-1 loss But Austin Villa That, just to rub salt in the wound, his opponents saw him jump on the table.
The four-time reigning champions of England are finding their bid for a fifth consecutive crown difficult. Pep Guardiola’s side have won just one of their last eight league games, spanning one of 12 matches in all competitions. After playing 17 league games, City are sixth in the table with 27 points (nine behind the leaders Liverpoolwho play one of their two games with the champions on Sunday) as we head into the Christmas period and towards the halfway point of the campaign.
However, disappointed City fans can take heart from the fact that at the same point last season, they were fourth and five points behind the leaders. weaponand they still roared to win the title. And their 2024-25 trials aren’t even close to being among the worst Premier League title defenses on record.
The Premier League has had some weak defenses over the years (Manchester United in 2013-14 and Blackburn Rovers in 1995-96, for example) but the twin disasters Chelsea As the reigning champions in 2015-16 and Leicester CityThe following seasons must rank as two of the worst.
Here we look at the different criteria you can use to determine what the worst Premier League title defenses have been – first taking into account the entire season, and then the culprits after their 17 league games. Judging by their record, that’s where City are in their current campaign.
Full season
The defending champions with the lowest finish in terms of table position
Leicester City (2016-17): 12th
Still the low-water mark when it comes to defending the Premier League title, Leicester went on to win the title in 2015-16. Up to 5000-1 despite preseason oddsonly to then record the worst ever finishing position for the defending champions. The Foxes may have finished 12th, but they slipped to 17th in February — leading to the sacking of brave manager Claudio Ranieri — only for a string of five consecutive wins over March and April to see them back. was kicked out. The mud
The defending champion with the highest points difference to the new champions
Leicester City (2016-17): 49 points
After suffering their own terrible year as defending champions in 2015-16, Chelsea returned to the summit the following campaign as Antonio Conte took them back to the top. The Blues finished with 93 points on the board, almost double the tally of the struggling Foxes.
The biggest drop-off in total points from a title-winning season
Chelsea (2015-16): Minus-37 points (87 to 50) Leicester City (2016-17): Minus-37 points (81 to 44)
When it comes to points drop after the title between Chelsea and Leicester, both sides somehow managed to drop 37 points during the autumn seasons that followed their respective league victories. .
The biggest drop-off in goals scored since the title-winning season
Chelsea (2010-11): Minus 34 (103 to 69)
It is the only stat point not to have come between 2015 and 2017, although Chelsea are still responsible for registering the biggest drop-off in goals scored since winning the title last season. That’s a bit harsh, but the Blues’ failure to replicate the triple-figure tally of 2009-10 en route to claiming the Premier League title (scoring “only” 69 goals and finishing as runners-up to Manchester United ends the following year) goes down as the largest post-title goal deficit on record.
The biggest drop-off in overall goal difference from a title-winning season
Leicester City (2016-17): Minus-47 (from plus-32 to minus-15)
Once again, Leicester won the wooden spoon for the biggest swing in goal difference since the 2015–16 title run, taking them to plus 32 (the narrowest goal difference of any Premier League champion). Completed with and just fell spectacularly into negative equity. next year.
After 17 games
After their sixth league defeat of the season (and their fifth in the last seven league games), City are now just four points above mid-table after 17 matches.
Compared to last season’s record at the same point, Pep Guardiola’s side are well off the pace – which may be a bit worrying to watch as they were only fourth and five points behind league leaders Arsenal at this point last year. They were behind.
City managed to rally from the end of the year, and an unbeaten second half of the season was enough to get them back into contention. They kill. West Ham United The feat has been achieved for the first time in the English top flight, on the final day of the campaign to reward the Gunners and claim their fourth title on the bounce.
Man City 2023-24 title-winning season after 17 games
Position: 4
Points: 34
Leaders’ gap: 5 points (Arsenal top with 39)
Goal score: 40
GD: 20
Man City 2024-25 title defense after 17 games
Position: 6
Points: 27
Difference to leaders: 9 (Liverpool top with 36, two games to go until December 21)
Points dropped from last season: minus-7
Goal score drop-off from last season: minus-11
GD drop-off from last season: Minus-16
When it comes to the worst title defense record after 17 games of a season, the same two culprits re-emerge: Chelsea in 2015-16 and Leicester City in 2016-17.
The defending champions with the lowest table position after 17 games
Leicester City (2016-17): 15th, 17 points
Chelsea (2015-16) were also 15th after 17 games but had amassed 18 points at the same stage — one more than Leicester.
Defending champions with the highest points difference for the leaders after 17 games
Leicester City (2016-17): 26 points
The biggest drop-off in points from a title-winning season after 17 games
Chelsea (2015-16): -24 points (+18 from 42 down)
The biggest drop-off in goals from a title-winning season after 17 games
Chelsea (2015-16): -17 goals (+38 down to +21)
The biggest drop-off in goal difference from a title-winning season after 17 games
Chelsea (2015-16): -31 swings in overall GD (+25 to -6)