On September 19th, 2018, Olympique Lyon stunned Manchester City with a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium. This Champions League group stage upset, witnessed by a relatively modest 40,111 spectators (compared to the 48,050 European average that season), marked a turning point.
Then-assistant manager Mikel Arteta (now Arsenal’s manager) downplayed the impact of the low attendance, stating, “It’s not an excuse. We’ve had this attendance in the Champions League before and won games. The ideal scenario is to have a full stadium, with people supporting and being behind the team like crazy, but I don’t think that’s the cause of the result.” The game was made more unusual by Pep Guardiola’s absence; he watched from the stands due to a suspension stemming from a previous Champions League match.
This Lyon defeat, coupled with a prior home loss to Liverpool, marked the end of City’s previous run of Champions League home success. Arteta commented, “At this level, we weren’t good enough. The next game will be a completely different story.“ That statement proved prophetic.
Since that loss, 1996 days have passed – nearly five and a half years – without a single Champions League home defeat for Manchester City. Their current streak stands at 30 consecutive unbeaten games at the Etihad Stadium, encompassing 28 wins and just two draws. Only Shakhtar Donetsk (1-1 in 2019-20) and Sporting CP (0-0 in 2021-22) managed to avoid defeat during this remarkable period.
Dominating victories against top opposition
During this unbeaten run, City has defeated Real Madrid (4-3, 4-0, and 2-1), Bayern Munich (3-0), Atlético Madrid (1-0), and PSG (2-1 and 2-0), among others. They have also recorded emphatic wins against the likes of Schalke (7-0), Shakhtar Donetsk (6-0), and RB Leipzig (6-3 and 7-0).
Their overall record during this time is a staggering 97 goals scored and only 23 conceded. This remarkable success is pushing them closer to Barcelona’s all-time Champions League home unbeaten record.
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Barcelona held the previous record of 38 consecutive unbeaten home Champions League games between September 2013 and November 2020. Manchester City’s current 12-game winning streak at home in the Champions League is closing in rapidly. Their current unbeaten run stretches to 22 games in the competition. Their last defeat came in May 2022, losing in extra time against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
Guardiola himself acknowledged the significance of a strong home record. “To win titles, you have to be strong at home. If not, you won’t have any chance,” he said. However, he also noted the importance of avoiding complacency. The team’s recent success has been fueled by Erling Haaland’s exceptional goalscoring form; he has scored eight goals in his last five matches.
