Will Manchester City's European exit give them extra motivation for the Premier League title?

With just minutes remaining, Manchester City had both feet in the Champions League final. Leading Real Madrid 5-3 on aggregate heading into stoppage time at the Santiago Bernabéu, it had looked as though the Spanish giants were finally dead and buried.

What followed was one of the most jaw-dropping semi-final comebacks in Champions League history — and there have been a few. Two goals from Rodrygo in the space of a minute brought Real Madrid level and forced extra-time, before Karim Benzema slotted away a penalty to complete the comeback. Real Madrid were booking their flights to Paris, while City were left shell-shocked at what had just unfolded before them.

“It is tough for us, I cannot deny,” Guardiola said of the defeat. “We were so close to the Champions League final. Now we need to process that and come back, with our people at home and in the last four games we have.”

And so, another chance for Manchester City to claim their maiden Champions League title has evaporated. It is quite remarkable how a team of such supreme quality and financial might has failed to land European football’s biggest prize, but Pep Guardiola seems to have some kind of mental block in the competition, and once again City have let a golden opportunity slip away.

Of course, there is still the small matter of the Premier League title race, and now that City have been knocked out of the Champions League, they’ll need to focus all their attentions on ensuring that they land the domestic title and don’t suffer a first trophy-less campaign since 2016-17.

At the time of writing, City hold a one-point lead over Liverpool and are the title favourites in the Premiership title odds. If they can simply win their remaining four matches, they’ll be crowned champions for the fourth time in five seasons.

The big question is what effect their Champions League collapse will have on Manchester City for the last few weeks of the season. You feel that it will go one of two ways. Either the shock of having a Champions League final snatched from their grasp will see them crumble domestically as well, or it will simply fire them up to ensure that they don’t let another prize get away from them.

Given how strong City have been domestically over the last five years, you’ve got to say that the latter certainly seems more likely. Guardiola will have been devastated at what happened in Madrid, but you can bet that he’ll have found the right words to say to his players to get them back on their feet.

The beauty of Manchester City’s football under Guardiola has always been complemented by an intense, fiery determination. Much of their ruthless dominance comes down to the elite mentality that Guardiola has instilled in his players, and now that will be tested to the fullest.

Sometimes, fear of failure can be the biggest motivator, and City’s players will be desperate to avoid this season slipping away into something thoroughly disappointing. If they can seal the Premier League title and keep Liverpool at bay, they can at least end the campaign on a celebratory note.