Manchester City end of season review: Pep Guardiola's side have been below par and need a defensive overhaul

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Manchester City missed out on a trophy in their first season under Pep Guardiola but were able to seal a third place finish after thrashing Watford on the final day.

City earned automatic qualification for next season's Champions League but were unable to put up a title challenge despite an outstanding start.

Here Sportsmail look back on a frustrating season for Guardiola... 

Manchester City sealed a third place finish after thrashing Watford 5-0 on Sunday

So, how did it go?

All’s well that ends well. City are back in the Champions League and won’t have to play a qualifier like this season. 

But third place still seems below par given what was being said when Pep Guardiola won his first 10 games in all competitions and threatened to sweep all before him.

Player of the season?

David Silva. Different players have shone at different times – De Bruyne, Sterling and Sane to name a few – and Aguero has weighed in with another 33 goals, but Silva has again been consistently outstanding in a challenging first season under Guardiola.

Best moment?

Beating Barcelona 3-1 at the Etihad in November. It was City’s first win over the Catalans in six meetings over the last three years after going behind to a Lionel Messi strike. 

Victory over his old club after a four-goal defeat at the Nou Camp also put Guardiola in sight of the knock out stage.

Lowest moment?

A 4-0 defeat at Barcelona can happen, especially with only 10 men, but Guardiola didn’t expect to be thrashed 4-0 again at Everton in mid-January, his heaviest ever league defeat as a manager and one that led him to concede the title race in mid-January.

How did the manager get on?

Pep didn’t come to the Premier League to finish third or to end a season empty-handed for the first time in his coaching career. He knows things must improve. 

After the glory days of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he has been left more than a little ruffled by the competitive nature of English football.

What can they improve in the summer?

The goalkeeping situation desperately needs addressing. A defensive overhaul is also needed, requiring at least two full-backs and one centre-back. 

Depending on what happens with Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure, Guardiola could also be in the market for a midfielder and a striker in what is sure to be a busy summer.