That is the reality, according to former City striker Paul Dickov, who believes the club have become victims of their own extraordinary success under Pep Guardiola.
Dickov, who played for City across two spells and remains one of the most respected figures from the club’s pre-takeover era, says the standards inside the Etihad have risen to unprecedented levels over the last decade. And even after a season of major squad changes, injuries and transition, City are still being judged almost exclusively on whether they lift the Premier League trophy.
“It’s a difficult one to answer,” Dickov told Football Presse on behalf of gamblemind.co.uk.
“If you’d asked me at the start of the season and City weren’t going to win the Premier League, you’d probably say that wasn’t good enough because that’s the one they want every single year.”
But Dickov believes context matters.
By the turn of the year, City had looked vulnerable in a way rarely seen under Guardiola. Rivals had begun sensing weakness. Injuries disrupted rhythm. The title race at one stage appeared to be slipping away completely.
That is why Dickov believes supporters would have accepted the current situation several months ago.
“If you’d told me in January, February or March that City would win two trophies and finish second, they probably would’ve snapped your hand off,” he explained.
“It just shows you how far the club has come.”
City have both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the cabinet, but end Guardiola's final season in charge without the Premier League title.
Dickov understands the disappointment, but he also sees the bigger picture.
“City are victims of their own success,” he said. “They’ve been so dominant over the last few years that now people are saying finishing second with two trophies is a bad season.”
Still, he admits there will be lingering frustration if the title slips away.
After recovering ground in the race and putting pressure back on their rivals, City seemed to have regained full momentum. But Dickov points to the recent draw against Everton as the pivotal moment.
“That was probably the big one,” he said. “If they’d managed to see that one over the line, we’d be sitting here talking about the last game of the season in a completely different way.”
Instead, City now fall just short domestically despite another campaign that would historically rank among the best in club football.
Which, as Dickov sees it, says everything about the standards Guardiola has created.