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Pep Guardiola said Manchester City have to “break” their losing run after admitting he is in a worse spell than he ever expected and told his players they cannot ignore the reality of their slump.
City were beaten 4-0 at home to Tottenham, the joint heaviest loss of Guardiola’s managerial career, to leave them on their longest sequence of defeats for 18 years and him in the worst run of a career that has brought him 12 league titles and three Champions Leagues.
And, after winning four consecutive Premier Leagues, Guardiola admitted City will be out of the title race if they lose to Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday and go 11 points behind Arne Slot’s team. “In terms of Liverpool winning and winning, it’s true,” he said.
James Maddison scored twice for Tottenham, with Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson adding second-half goals for Ange Postecoglou’s team, to leave Guardiola describing City as “fragile defensively”.
City had already lost to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League as well as Bournemouth and Brighton in the Premier League.
And Guardiola said: “Everyone knows the situation is new for us. In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it and break it by winning the next games, especially the next one.
“Now we’re struggling a little bit. The moment they create the chances the build-up, we couldn’t handle the duels like normally. We’re in the moment. We started really well, we had chances and after the first time they arrive we concede. Then it’s a bit more difficult to come back.
“After eight years here I knew sooner or later we would drop. I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again.
“Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here. We have to do everything to change, especially for the next one, but the exceptionality we lived in eight years is not eternal.
“We are happy when we win and concerned when we don’t win. It’s normal. There would be a problem if they were not worried or I am not worried.
“I would say when you lose three Premier League [games] in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion. But the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break [it], start to win games.”
Captain Kyle Walker added: “Hopefully the mojo comes back and we see the normal City from the past eight seasons. Your powers don’t just go. We know our qualities and weaknesses. You get a win, you get your confidence and we’re back to how we used to feel.”