Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that the club’s poor run of form across competitions is not ‘exceptional’, instead pointing towards his silverware record.
The Premier League champions turn their attentions to European competition in midweek as they travel to face Juventus in the hope of climbing up the rankings in the league phase of the Champions League.
Languishing in 20th position ahead of their matchday six encounter in Turin, City know that they will need to bounce back immediately with a win following a 4-1 loss to Sporting CP and a 3-3 home draw against Feyenoord.
Those results have made up a poor record of form for Manchester City across competitions over the last month and a half, with just one win in their last nine matches and four Premier League losses in a row coming during that period.
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Juventus in Turin on Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola was keen to snub the idea of a poor run of form being ‘exceptional’ for the club, instead referring back towards his silverware record.
“The exceptional thing is when you win four Premier Leagues in a row and six or seven [in total], this is exceptional,” Guardiola said. “You will have a bad month, you get results when you play every three days, and you have bad results for many reasons.”
The Catalan coach continued, “It happens in all families. We are living now like normal people live. The exception is winning 11 championships. That is exceptional. That is why I accepted before it was not normal, I did not think in the moment that we had done it.
“I don’t recognise a team in all of history that did not have a bad period or a bad month. It can happen. What you do is turn around and know that you have to do more. The next two weeks, we play a really important two weeks to change and to be involved in all the competitions.
“The people think, ‘Ah they won four, this team can’t lose’. The problem is you, because you were wrong. Of course, we can lose.”
Guardiola will no doubt by buoyed by the encouraging fitness and injury news this week as Mateo Kovacic returned to training following an injury sustained with Croatia during the November international break.
Phil Foden is also back from a period of bronchitis, whilst defensive problems continue to linger as all of Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Nathan Ake remain sidelined through injury, with the latter expected to be out for ‘weeks’.
