Pep Guardiola acknowledged the unexpected deterioration in Manchester City’s performance following a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, where the team conceded twice in the closing moments.
City has recorded only one victory in their last eleven matches across all competitions, suffering eight defeats during this stretch.
After winning four consecutive Premier League titles, City’s title defense appears to be faltering before Christmas, as they now trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points, with Liverpool having a game in hand. Currently, City sits outside the Champions League qualification spots in fifth place.
Guardiola stated, “I don’t have a defense, I’m the boss, I’m the manager. I have to find a solution and I don’t find a solution.” He further remarked, “This is a big club, when you lose eight out of 11, something wrong is happening. What can I say? The schedule is tough, the injured players? No. I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough. It’s as simple as that.”
The latest defeat was particularly damaging, as City was on track for a vital win against their local rivals, thanks to Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header. However, a critical mistake by Matheus Nunes allowed Amad Diallo to equalize from the penalty spot in the 88th minute, after Nunes fouled Diallo. Diallo then scored again, sealing a remarkable comeback for United and deepening City’s crisis.
Guardiola reflected on the situation, stating, “I am sitting here in the press conference because of what we have done in the past. I knew that it would be a tough season. From the beginning, I said many times. Even when we were winning. But I didn’t expect it would be so hard, like it is right now.”
Midfielder Bernardo Silva was also critical of the team's performance, likening their late-game mistakes to those of an under-15s team. He commented, “At this level, a game or two is unlucky. We can’t say this is lucky or unlucky -- it’s not about that. If we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go you deserve to pay for that. Today in the last minute we played like under-15s.”
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