Manchester City’s losing streak hit five games as Pep Guardiola oversaw a home Premier League loss for the first time since November 2022, and the Catalan manager is speaking after the 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Guardiola branded his team as “fragile defensively,” and acknowledged that City’s confidence has been hit but vowed that they’d break out of this slump and return to their previous heights.
“We will stand up and do it,” said the celebrated City boss.
Guardiola’s men conceded four goals on just nine as they chased the game following James Maddison’s early birthday brace at the Etihad Stadium.
The four goals are the joint-most suffered by a Guardiola-coached side at any of his stops: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City.
City had 58 percent possession, 2.15 xG, and 23 shot attempts but were blanked at home. They’re now five points behind Liverpool and that could be an eight-point gap by the end of Week 12, and perhaps more interesting they are just one point ahead of a trio of teams.
Pep Guardiola reaction — What did Man City boss say after Spurs loss?
We had to wait a while for Pep to meet the media, as counterpart Ange Postecoglou spoke quickly after the loss but Guardiola took time to meet the media.
The Man City locker room must’ve been an intense place right now.
“In this moment we are fragile defensively,” Guardiola said, via the BBC. “We started really well as normal but we could not score and then after that we conceded. After that we conceded some more which is difficult for our emotions right now.
“In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it and break it winning the next games, especially the next one. Now we have to live it, and we have to break it winning the next games, and especially the next one. We will be back. We will do it.”
Guardiola acknowledged that City is playing concerned and not free-flowing at the moment.
“It’s normal,” he said. “There would be a problem if they were not worried or I am not worried. We are not used to doing this situation but life is like this. Sometimes it happens and we have to accept it. It is what it is now and we will stand up and do it.”
He said that City played their game well at times but struggled in transition as Spurs’ counter attack was brilliant.
“Chances were there,” he said. “The moment they create the chances, the build-up, we couldn’t handle the duels like normally. Now we’re struggling a little bit. It cannot happen.”
City host Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, then visit Liverpool at 11am ET Sunday, December 1. The bounce back has to come soon.
“There are not fairytales in life and sport, sometimes you have to live through these situations. You have to accept it. You can’t blame each other, stay together, continue to do what we have done. ... We have to stand up more than ever. What will define us is when we fail, we stand up and face it.
“I don’t know what will happen this season, but not for one second will I not believe in these players. There is no team in the world that can sustain success for eight, nine, ten years in a row.”