Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looked back on the stunning 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham and delivered a simple truth.
“We have to accept the reality and break it,” he said.
Given he began his post-match news conference by saying “when you lose 4-0 there is not much to say” before offering his congratulations to Spurs on their biggest away win at City, Guardiola then spent quite a bit of time talking about it.
How, after so much success over such a long period of time, “a dip”was inevitable.
How “little details” were the cause of major problems, due in part, but not exclusively, to the number of injuries his side are struggling to cope with.
How his belief in the players has not been shaken because of all they have achieved for him.
But also how he will not ignore the reality of five successive defeats, something he has never experienced as a manager and City as a club last went through in 2006, when Stuart Pearce was in charge.
Nether can he ignore that Liverpool would move eight points clear with a win at Southampton on Sunday – with a meeting with City at Anfield next up.
“In eight years we never lived this. 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.”
How bad is it for Man City?
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City’s current run represents the longest losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career, and their worst since 2006 under Stuart Pearce
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This is the first time City have lost three successive Premier League games under Guardiola
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Guardiola had never previously lost a home league game by four goals in his managerial career
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This is the joint-biggest defeat for Guardiola as a manager. He also lost 4-0 to Everton in 2017 and Barcelona in the Champions League in 2016 – and with Bayern Munich against Real Madrid in 2014
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Saturday’s reverse is City’s heaviest defeat at Etihad Stadium
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City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956
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This was City’s worst home league defeat since a 5-1 loss to Arsenal in 2003
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It was also the earliest City have been 2-0 down in a Premier League home game since December 2010 (19th minute v Everton)
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Guardiola has now lost to Tottenham more often than any other opponent (9).
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This was just the third time a team has won away against the reigning Premier League champions by four or more goals.
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City had 23 shots in this game to no avail, their most in a Premier League game they failed to score in since a 2-0 loss to Manchester United in March 2021.
Where are things going wrong for the champions?
The stats show several areas – apart from just the results – where City are in decline.
City are being hit on the counter-attack much more than during any other season under Guardiola. They have faced an average of 1.17 shots on the counter per game this season. The previous highest total was 0.66 two seasons ago.
Four of Spurs’ five chances in the second half were from what Opta call a fast break – including Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson’s goals.
This season, excluding penalties, they are conceding 1.25 goals a game – compared to 0.79 last term. They are only conceding a similar amount of shots per game (7.8 now compared to 7.7 last term) – but the quality of those shots is much better with the expected goals conceded (xGC) of 1.26 v 0.8 last time.
They are struggling to cope with the absence of Rodri, the best defensive midfielder in the world and Ballon d’Or winner.
In Premier League games with him in the team since the start of last season they have won 78% of games when he plays and 50% without him. On defeats it’s even starker – 0% with him and 43% without him.
An ageing squad is not helping. Some 52% of their league minutes have been played by players aged 29 or over – the highest figure of any team in this season’s Premier League.
Their form has visibly dropped during the season too, with their shots on target dropping from an average of 7.3 in their first 14 games in all competitions compared to 4.8 in their five defeats -and opposition shots on target rising from 2.4 to 6.
Their goals for and against have almost reversed in that time -from 2.3-0.8 to 0.8-2.8.
‘We are a bit fragile right now’
Despite a bright start, City were ultimately deservedly beaten by a Tottenham side who out played their hosts.
“We are a bit fragile right now, that is obvious,” said Guardiola. “We struggled to score goals and after when they arrived they scored.
“We are playing with a little bit of negativity in our thoughts but this is normal. Football is a sense of mood.
“We were always a consistent team conceding few chances. Our game was about control.
“This is not a team created to do box-to-box 40 times in a game – we are not good at that. We were always a team who conceded few but now we concede more. I would like there to just be one reason but there are many.”
Former England striker Alan Shearer, said on Match of the Day: “There were so many things wrong. It’s not just not having Rodri, it is defenders not defending properly. They haven’t got the press right all over the park.
“There is plenty to work on, there was no protection and they were too open.
“Liverpool away is a massive game next weekend for Man City. For the first time I would have real concerns over them. I am seeing too many worrying signs. If Liverpool win on Sunday and next week, I think Man City would find it really tough.”
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville described it as a “sobering day” for the champions, while ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said Man City were “too easy to play against”.
Ex-Man City defender Micah Richards told Sky Sports: “I am flabbergasted. Spurs showed great quality but from Man City it was truly awful.
“They got dominated in midfield, they look like there is a lack of energy, a lack of conviction.
“I thought Pep’s new contract would give them a buzz. Today it feels like more than a blip.”
Is there any way back in the title race?
It has not escaped anyone’s notice that, although City play Dutch side Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, their next Premier League assignment is at Liverpool next Sunday.
Given Arne Slot’s men are already five points ahead prior to Sunday’s trip to Southampton, the gap could become 11 points by the time next weekend is over.
If Liverpool do beat the Saints, only once has a team had a bigger lead after 12 games – Man Utd in 1993-94, who went on to win the title.
Opta’s supercomputer gives Man City just a 25.3% chance of retaining their title.
Asked directly whether 11 points would be too many to claw back, Guardiola stated firmly: “Yes, it’s true.
“But we’re not thinking about winning or losing [the title], we are not in the situation to think about what is going to happen at the end of the season. If in the end we don’t win it’s because we don’t deserve it.
“Now you realise how difficult what we have done is.”
