Hidden smile and new focus - Man City's fresh motivation as season to forget takes unexpected twist Manchester City were not ready to compete in the Champions League this season but may still rue the fact they are out in a year most favourites have fallen early. Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to a statement Champions League win over Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola probably allowed himself to smile when close friend and former protege Mikel Arteta stunned Real Madrid for the second time in a week. Manchester City couldn't overcome the Madrid bravado earlier this season and Guardiola conceded his side were well off the standard needed in the Champions League. The last team to win the Champions League without knocking Madrid out were Bayern Munich in 2020, with Liverpool 12 months before the only other side to manage it in the last decade. Arsenal face a very impressive Paris Saint-Germain side next, but should be confident against any side after their 5-1 humbling of Carlo Ancelotti's side. ‌ Arteta revealed he called Guardiola before the second leg, saying he wouldn't be in that position without the Catalan's help. For all the rivalry between City and Arsenal, Guardiola must be delighted to see another student of his shining in Europe. There may be something sweet, too, after all the Ballon d'Or nonsense of recent months. That looks more foolish now and the Bernabeu will go into crisis mode as the rest of Europe watches on with a hidden smile. Meanwhile, Arsenal must look at their success like City did in 2020 when they knocked Madrid out at the last-16 stage. That was City's coming of age in Europe, the tie where they finally lived up to their potential and produced arguably their most consistent Champions League performances to date. Madrid relied on their history rather than their own quality and City marched on. It wouldn't result in a European Cup for another three years, yet they were in the final 12 months later and won it in 2023 after an even-more impressive dismantling of Madrid. That was the turning point for a squad more associated with falling short. Article continues below Arteta will hope for the same effect with the 2025 semi-finalists posing a better chance than Arsenal could have ever hoped for in a season they were never expected to challenge. For City that makes it even more frustrating that everything has gone so awry this campaign, but they were firmly second-best in Madrid and can't think about what could have been when they didn't deserve to go through in any world. It will still hurt, though, to see Arteta and Arsenal march into a winnable Champions League field on the same night Newcastle climbed to third in the Premier League. City are clinging onto the final Champions League qualification spot, a point ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa - the latter visiting the Etihad next week. If Arsenal do follow the trajectory City did after their 2020 night at the Bernabeu, that is another rival when the Blues plot their way back to the top. It makes securing a top five spot all the more important or they risk being left behind. ‌ The two knock-out rounds this season without City are proof that football moves on very quickly. The Champions League City hope to return to next year will have a very different feel to the one they left just two months ago. ----- Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Article continues below Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.