LONDON: Could it be happening again? That’s the question Pep Guardiola is likely to be asking himself, and familiarity can only enhance his frustration.
His Manchester City side could wrap up the league title against Manchester United on Saturday and yet there is a serious danger of the season ending with a sense of anti-climax.
Just as in each of his three campaigns in charge of Bayern Munich, Guardiola has won the league early,. Victory has come too early for there to any great explosion of emotion when it is confirmed. City need to beat United on Saturday to wrap up the title with six games remaining, but even if they don’t, the title will come.
When it does, there will be a nod of satisfaction, debates as to whether City, who are likely to break both points and goalscoring records, are the greatest Premier League champions of all time (quite possibly). Barring something extraordinary in the second leg on Tuesday, there will be a yawning sense of disappointment about what happened at Anfield on Wednesday.
Admission to the highest level of the pantheon demands European success, particularly in an era when a handful of super-clubs have much greater resources than everybody else, with the result that the Champions League has belonged to four countries over the past 14 years.
Since he left Barcelona, Guardiola has kept on failing in the latter stages of the Champions League: Three semifinal defeats with Bayern, a last-16 exit with Manchester City a year ago and now a strong chance of defeat in the quarter-final. Worse, the same pattern keeps being repeated: Three goals conceded in 18 minutes against Real Madrid in 2014, three goals conceded in 17 minutes against Barcelona in 2015, two goals conceded in eight minutes against Monaco last season and three conceded in 21 minutes on Wednesday.
Again and again, Guardiola sides find themselves reeling, the composure that usually characterises them in possession lost as a defense that is better at passing the ball than actually defending is exposed. This is the flaw that keeps undermining him. His side may have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season with just 21 goals conceded in 31 games, but that is a mark of how good they are in possession, how intimidated opponents are, rather than how good they are at the nuts and bolts of defending.
It is a realization Jurgen Klopp came to years ago. As he pointed out after Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over City in January, to sit back and hope they do not convert any of the chances they will inevitably convert is to hope to win the lottery. Far better to take the risk and attack, and to try to expose their defensive vulnerability.
But it is too simple to suggest that everybody should follow the Klopp model. Not everybody has the players to attack, and very few, if any, other teams are quite so quick in transition.
Nonetheless, Liverpool’s success should give other teams hope, and if doubts are beginning to assail Guardiola — as his selection of Ilkay Gundogan over Raheem Sterling on Wednesday in an effort to assert greater control suggests — it is now Jose Mourinho’s job to try to multiply them by upsetting City on Saturday.
United do not have Liverpool’s pace or cohesion, but as long balls to Romelu Lukaku, with Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford feeding on his knockdowns, undid Liverpool, so they may undo City. That would spoil the City party — and push Guardiola into further self-interrogation.
Why Manchester City’s record-breaking season might still feel like failure
Why Manchester City’s record-breaking season might still feel like failure
Emirati driver Amna Al-Qubaisi set for historic Porsche Carrera Cup Asia debut
- The 25-year-old will become the first female driver to compete in the pro class of Porsche Carrera Cup Asia when the season begins at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend
DUBAI: When the UAE’s Amna Al-Qubaisi lines up on the grid at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend, she will once again make motorsport history.
The 25-year-old will become the first female driver to compete in the pro class of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia when the season begins at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend, from March 13 to 15.
Al-Qubaisi will join a highly competitive 30-driver grid from across Asia and beyond in one of the region’s leading GT racing championships.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia features drivers competing in identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, placing a strong emphasis on driver skill, precision and consistency throughout the season.
For Al-Qubaisi, the milestone represents another step forward in a career that has already seen her break barriers for Emirati and Arab drivers in international motorsport.
“The competition is incredibly strong, which makes it even more exciting,” Al-Qubaisi told Arab News ahead of the race weekend.
“My approach is to stay focused on my own development, work closely with my team, and maximize every session.
“It’s my first time competing in this car and on tracks I’ve never been to before. In a field like this, every small improvement makes a difference, so consistency, preparation and learning quickly are key.”
The Shanghai race weekend will also mark Al-Qubaisi’s first experience racing at the circuit, where Porsche Carrera Cup Asia runs as a support race to the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
The Emirati driver has had limited time to prepare. “I wasn’t able to go back to the country and do simulator work, so I manually watched onboard footage and made notes of the circuit.
“It’ll be my first time racing in Shanghai and we’re the support race with Formula One, so I’m really looking forward to learning and enjoying the weekend.”
One of the biggest challenges this season will be adapting to the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which demands a different driving style compared with the machinery Al-Qubaisi raced earlier in her career.
“The biggest challenge for me is getting used to the car,” she explained.
“I’m very used to single-seaters and prototypes, so moving into a heavier car with less downforce means the driving style is very different. It’s all about adapting and trying to make the most out of the car.”
Al-Qubaisi has been a pioneer for women in motorsport in the region since the early stages of her racing journey.
In 2019, she became the first Arab woman to win a single-seater race, claiming victory in the Formula 4 UAE Trophy round at Yas Marina Circuit during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
She later competed in the Italian Formula 4 Championship, Formula Regional Asian Championship, and F1 Academy, where she secured two race wins in 2023 and finished sixth in the overall standings.
More recently, Al-Qubaisi began transitioning toward sportscar and endurance racing. In 2025, she competed in the Ligier European Series with Group Virage alongside her sister Hamda Al-Qubaisi, where the pair secured three podium finishes during their rookie season.
Her move into Porsche Carrera Cup Asia follows her selection into the Porsche Talent Pool Asia, where she became the first Arab, and Arab female driver, to join the development program.
The championship calendar will take drivers across several of Asia’s most iconic circuits, including Fuji Speedway, Sepang International Circuit, the Bangsaen street circuit in Thailand and Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit.
While each venue presents a unique challenge, one track in particular stands out for Al-Qubaisi. “It’s hard to pick just one because they’re all incredible circuits,” she said.
“Fuji and Sepang are legendary tracks with a lot of history, but Singapore is definitely very exciting because racing on a street circuit is always unique. The atmosphere there is amazing. I raced there in F1 Academy back in 2024 so I’m really looking forward to experiencing that.”
For now, however, Al-Qubaisi’s focus is firmly on Shanghai as she prepares for the opening race of the season. “This weekend is about learning and enjoying the experience,” she said.
“The focus is to keep improving every session and build confidence with the car.”
