Man City Have a Second-Half Problem — What Is Causing Their Mid-Game Drop-Offs?

Manchester City have scored more first-half goals in the Premier League this season than any other club, while they also boast the joint-best defensive record in the opening 45 minutes of matches.

But Pep Guardiola’s team have been far less dominant after half-time.

That was again the case on Sunday.

City looked in total control away at Tottenham Hotspur after 45 minutes and held a deserved 2-0 lead at the interval courtesy of goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo.

But Spurs stormed back after the break and earned a 2-2 draw thanks to two goals from Dominic Solanke.

The draw led to Jamie Redknapp declaring that the Premier League title race is over.

The result also reflected the balance of play. As much as City had bossed the first half, Tottenham were equally dominant in the second.

A pattern is emerging for both clubs this season.

Tottenham tend to play poorly in the first half and much better in the second. Spurs are 15th in the Premier League’s first-half table and seventh in the second-half ladder.

By contrast, City boast the best first-half record in the entire Premier League this season, but they have lost as many second halves as prime relegation candidates Burnley.

Premier League first-half table 2025/26

Team	MP	W-D-L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1. Man City	24	16-6-2	27	6	+21	54
2. Arsenal	24	11-9-4	17	6	+11	42
3. Bournemouth	24	10-8-6	21	18	+3	38
4. Man United	24	10-8-6	19	12	+7	38
5. Chelsea	24	10-8-6	16	14	+2	38
6. Crystal Palace	24	9-9-6	12	11	+1	36
7. Brentford	24	10-5-9	14	15	-1	35
8. Everton	24	9-7-8	11	14	-3	34
9. Newcastle	24	8-9-7	16	11	+5	33
10. Liverpool	24	8-8-8	13	12	+1	32
11. West Ham	24	8-8-8	17	18	-1	32
12. Leeds	24	7-11-6	16	14	+2	32
13. Aston Villa	24	6-11-7	13	13	0	29
14. Fulham	24	6-11-7	12	13	-1	29
15. Tottenham	24	6-8-10	14	18	-4	26
16. Sunderland	23	4-12-7	7	14	-7	24
17. Brighton	24	6-6-12	10	17	-7	24
18. N Forest	24	4-9-11	9	16	-7	21
19. Wolves	24	2-11-11	10	21	-11	17
20. Burnley	23	2-10-11	10	21	-11	16

Premier League second-half table 2025/26

Team	MP	W-D-L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1. Arsenal	24	13-9-2	29	11	+18	48
2. Chelsea	24	12-8-4	26	13	+13	44
3. Aston Villa	24	11-9-4	22	13	+9	42
4. Brighton	24	10-9-5	24	15	+9	39
5. Liverpool	24	9-10-5	26	21	+5	37
6. Sunderland	23	10-7-6	17	12	+5	37
7. Tottenham	24	8-11-5	21	15	+6	35
8. Man City	24	10-5-9	22	17	+5	35
9. Everton	24	9-8-7	15	13	+2	35
10. Brentford	24	9-7-8	22	17	+5	34
11. Fulham	24	9-6-9	22	22	0	33
12. N Forest	24	8-6-10	15	19	-4	30
13. Man United	24	5-12-7	25	24	+1	27
14. Newcastle	24	5-11-8	17	22	-5	26
15. Crystal Palace	24	5-10-9	13	18	-5	25
16. Burnley	23	5-9-9	15	23	-8	24
17. Bournemouth	24	4-11-9	19	25	-6	23
18. Leeds	24	5-8-11	15	28	-13	23
19. West Ham	24	5-5-14	12	30	-18	20
20. Wolves	24	2-9-13	5	24	-19	15

Why do Man City perform so much worse after half-time?

City’s second-half drop-off appears to be driven as much by mentality as tactics.

They have often been so dominant before the break that matches feel under control, and that can lead to a subtle but costly drop in intensity after half-time.

When City are playing at full throttle, their structure, pressing and decision-making overwhelm opponents. When that edge drops even slightly, games can quickly become far more unpredictable.

This is particularly relevant in a Premier League that has become faster, more physical and more direct after the interval. Opponents increasingly look to flip the momentum with long balls, aggressive pressing and second-ball battles rather than trying to outplay City for possession.

Guardiola acknowledged that shift after the draw at Tottenham, admitting: “The momentum is difficult to control whatever happens here in England.”

When City stop winning duels – especially in wide areas and central midfield – their control of territory weakens and matches become transition-heavy rather than positional.

The issue is compounded when City fail to put games beyond doubt in the first half. They regularly create enough chances to be three or four goals clear, but missed opportunities leave the door open for a momentum swing. Guardiola pointed to that problem too, saying: “We have to try to finish the actions a little bit better.”

Once a goal is conceded, City have looked increasingly vulnerable to emotional swings. Instead of slowing games down, they are often drawn into end-to-end exchanges where confidence dips and decision-making suffers.

That helps explain why their second-half results resemble those of a mid-table side, despite their dominance in the opening 45 minutes.