Indeed, after a dire 0-0 draw at already-relegated Southampton on Saturday, even qualification for the lucrative Champions League — something taken for granted by City for so many seasons — is still far from certain with just two games left.
Failing to beat the Premier League's last-placed team, and one of the worst to ever play in England's top-flight, threw City's ambitions of a top-five finish back into doubt.
Even more so with Aston Villa, one of a raft of clubs battling with City to get into the Champions League, beating Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to Ollie Watkins' first-half goal.
It could barely be tighter in that race. Third-placed City are now two points clear of Newcastle and Chelsea — who meet at St. James' Park on Sunday — and also sixth-placed Villa.
Nottingham Forest are two points further back but also have a game in hand, at home to already-relegated Leicester on Sunday.
Six points separate Arsenal in second place and Forest in seventh.
It seemed as if City had turned the corner after a terrible run of results from November to February that knocked Pep Guardiola's team out of contention for a fifth-straight Premier League title as well as the Champions League.
Indeed, arriving at Southampton on the back of four victories in a row and with star striker Haaland back after six weeks out with an ankle injury, City were even looking good to jump above Arsenal and finish second behind already-crowned champions Liverpool.
Yet City were sluggish, Haaland barely got a chance and the recalled Phil Foden continued to look a shadow of the guy who was English soccer's player of the year last season.
This draw will revive the concerns about Guardiola's team ahead of games to close their Premier League campaign, at home to Bournemouth, who are chasing a first ever qualification for European competition, and away to Fulham. Before that, they have the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace to distract them next weekend.
Guardiola said it would be a "fight until the end" to qualify for the Champions League. "We take that point still. It's in our hands," he added.
Southampton had one consolation.The draw moved them on to 12 points - one more than the lowest ever points haul in a single Premier League season, set by Derby in 2007-08.
Finishing in eighth place could still secure qualification for next season's Conference League — Europe's third-tier competition — and that remains the carrot for Brentford and Brighton after they both won.
Brentford beat already-relegated Ipswich 1-0 thanks to Kevin Schade's glancing header from a corner in the 18th minute.
Brighton won at Wolverhampton 2-0 after a 10th goal of the season by Danny Welbeck — a penalty in the 28th — and Brajan Gruda in the 85th.
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