The Catalan is by no means the root of the club's problems but there will no be doubts - externally at least - that he can put them right
Pep Guardiola will continue to try to do what he was brought to Manchester City to do but his job will not have been made any easier after another big game went begging.
The Catalan insisted in the build-up to this FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal that he would leave it for the journalists to decide if he has failed in his first season at the Etihad Stadium. There will be many, in the media and in the stands, who will have made up their minds after this defeat, coming as it did against Arsene Wenger's brittle outfit.
Indeed, the first trophy-less season of his managerial career would suggest he has struggled to adapt to the English game, or that his possession-based game will never work here.
The reality, here at Wembley and across many other major games this season, is not quite so straightforward.
City yet again had enough chances to put the game out of sight before their opponents managed to drag themselves up off the canvas and land a sucker-punch. Guardiola was so angry with his side's performance against the Gunners in the league earlier this month that he has let his feelings become known in public, which is rare.
On several occasions since he has bemoaned the performance, saying he "never wants to see my team play like that again" and, in the Wembley programme, spelling out again that his team "forgot to play".
His message in private, immediately before this game and the days leading up to it, would have simply been: "Do not do that again".
Yet they did. Not for long, but enough. Sergio Aguero scored an excellent breakaway goal but City allowed the Gunners a foothold in the game again and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's delightful cross was converted by Nacho Monreal, who had been doubling up alongside Alexis Sanchez on Jesus Navas.
Navas, at least, has put in some spirited performances despite not being good enough. He has too many team-mates who are also struggling, or faring even worse.
If it is ultimately decided that Guardiola has failed this season, a large share of the blame must be taken by those responsible for leaving the squad so short thanks to years of questionable purchases.
City need a raft of new players and that has been evident for months. Quality, young and versatile recruits are needed to drastically upgrade the defence and, as was made plain at Wembley, add much-needed depth to the squad in attacking areas.
City also need battle-hardened winners, and how inevitable it was when Alexis, the man they hope to sign this summer, stabbed in an extra-time winner just seconds after a tiring Aguero was taken off and replaced by Fabian Delph, who was later put through on goal but could not convert when it mattered.
That has been the story of the season. Guardiola, while bemoaning his side's fragility when in leading positions, says his side are better after a setback. That was again evidenced when Yaya Toure and Fernandinho hit the frame of the goal at 1-1, and when Kevin De Bruyne flashed one just wide of the post after Delph's miss.
In the end, though, Wenger's men did more than enough to be declared deserved winners. That those players have too often been accused of going missing, or even not playing for their manager, it does not say a great deal about the mentality of their City counterparts.
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