An eerily calm Pep Guardiola insisted that “the solution” to Manchester City’s dire run of form is to simply wait for his injured players to return to full fitness.
City were consigned to a convincing 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime. The reigning Premier League champions were toothless for much of their trip to Villa Park, barely offering any sustained threat before Phil Foden’s consolation strike in stoppage time. City have now lost nine of their previous 12 matches across all competitions.
Erling Haaland once again skirted around the peripheries of the contest and admitted post-game that he has not been good enough in recent weeks. However, the Nordic goal-gobbler took solace in the fact that Guardiola remains at the helm of Manchester City. “He will find the solutions,” Haaland insisted. “He has been doing that every single year. We still believe in him.”
Not for the first time this season, Guardiola conducted his post-match media duties with visible grazes on his scalp. After an energetic display on the touchline at Villa Park, the Catalan coach had composed himself for the press conference and laid out the easy fix to his side’s woes.
“It depends on us,” Guardiola said, barely raising his voice above a whisper. “The solution is bring the players back. We have just one central defender fit, that is difficult. We are going to try next game – another opportunity and we don’t think much further than that.”
City’s talismanic defender Ruben Dias joined a crowded treatment room last weekend. Fellow centre-back John Stones could only last 45 minutes against Villa before an existing injury forced him off, leaving Manuel Akanji in a barren backline.
Guardiola did venture beyond the excuse of injuries, but only offered vagaries. “Of course there are more reasons,” he sniffed. “We concede the goals we don’t concede in the past, we [don’t] score the goals we score in the past. Football is not just one reason. There are a lot of little factors.”
Over their last eight Premier League matches, City have taken just four points, scored nine times and conceded a staggering 16. Despite this dire run, Guardiola was optimistic that the title race remained alive. City had – as he pointed out – lost at Villa Park last December before romping to a fourth consecutive Premier League crown.
“Last season we won the Premier League, but we came here and lost,” the serial champion noted. “We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys. Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back.”
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