Pep Guardiola reflects on Man City's unfamiliar struggles, says 'we're living the parallel' (WATCH)
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 23, 2024, 11:36 AM ISTManchester City’s ongoing struggles reached a new low on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, marking their ninth loss in 12 matches.
Manchester City’s ongoing struggles reached a new low on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, marking their ninth loss in 12 matches. With only one win in that span, the reigning Premier League champions find themselves in unfamiliar territory, a stark contrast to their usual dominance.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola admitted his team is navigating the opposite of the long winning streaks that have defined his tenure.
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“Always when we win a lot of games and titles I say we are going to lose games,” he said. “When we won 13 or 14 games or 10 games and we lose one or draw one and it is, ‘what happened? Why you draw or lose a game?’ So it is football."
"I learn, they learn. We will have to focus on Everton. We cannot think about it much longer than that. We lose another game and we have to think about what we have to do next. When you lose lot of games, it's a business you have to win. Never ever has there been a team this consistent for as long as we have been. Now we're on the the other side of the wall. We break all the records, we broke all the records, now we install another record. I have to find a way. It is harder, but the players have to be okay. At the end, it's just a game," he added.
“We won a lot, it was exceptional, and now we are living the parallel. We didn’t expect [it], I didn’t personally and I don’t know what will be the outcome after that, so life gives you that. We have to deal with it," the Man City boss further said.
City’s defensive struggles have been particularly concerning, with young defender Rico Lewis suggesting mental fragility could be contributing to their woes. "When we concede, it's like we're not allowed to concede, as if it's not a normal part of the game," Lewis said. "Because we hold ourselves to such high standards, when we concede, we're so disappointed in ourselves. That’s when you'll see more mistakes come."
Lewis pointed to confidence and fatigue as potential factors in the team’s difficulties. "At the start of the season, we conceded a few goals first, but we bounced back straight away. That can be down to confidence, tired legs—many things. But we need to get back to the way we want to be," he added.
Manchester City’s uncharacteristic slump has left fans and pundits questioning whether the team can regain their form and salvage their season. With Guardiola urging calm and resilience, the coming weeks will prove crucial for the defending champions as they attempt to navigate this rare period of adversity.
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