Declining engagement and attendance is a symptom of Manchester City’s success – opinion | OneFootball

In his post-match interview, Pep Guardiola questioned why more fans did not watch Manchester City’s 4-0 victory over Fulham in the FA Cup, as a crowd of 39,223 saw them progress to the fifth round. In total that left over 15,000 empty seats in the Etihad Stadium, but it is hardly surprising their clash with a lower league opposition was not a sellout.

Firstly, there is the lack of competition between the two sides on display. Fulham and the Citizens operate in different stratospheres of English football, with Fulham’s squad valued at £132.5m and the hosts £1.17bn, yet even with a much-changed team, the win was still comfortable. Guardiola resting his first-choice squad members was inevitable and with the price of domestic football at the Etihad Stadium consistently rising, why would fans want to fork out to see a second-string side? Even with the ticket price having been reduced to between £10-£35, both the opponent and eleven Guardiola fielded did not have the draw to entice a full house.

The Spaniard added that he hoped there would be “more people” and “more support” when the Sky Blues take on rivals Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, but the plea could be in vain. With the current Premier League champions also League Cup holders for the past two seasons, the excitement of competing for silverware is beginning to wear off, and that is shown by the attendance figures in their past home fixtures in the competition, such as the 37,143 who arrived to watch the win over Southampton in the previous round.

Even though Manchester City are facing their local rivals, after an utterly dominant display in the first leg where City came out 3-1 winners, some fans may not feel the need to support their side in person with progress all but assured. With Manchester United at a particularly low ebb, currently enduring their worst ever Premier League season, the rivalry between the two dominant forces in Manchester is not as appealing as it may have been a decade ago.

Manchester City fans have been treated to a glut of success having been starved for so long, but their fans are filling up and their disinterest is reflected in the attendance figures for their domestic cup competitions. Guardiola’s wish of a larger audience for the League Cup semi-final is unlikely to come true and there is little to suggest the Ethiad Stadium will be packed to the rafters as the champions almost certainly secure a third successive trip to Wembley Stadium.